Another Chance?
by shinypenny99
Summary: Set after 4.11. Meredith and Derek are broken up. What happens when the Chief calls on his best to make a trip to a hospital in Alaska to help out in a time of need? Mostly Mer/Der with some Der/Rose, Mark/Izzie, and others to be determined.
1. Chapter 1

Set after 4.11 – The day after Mer/Der broke up and he had his 1st date with Rose.

**Mer's Room**

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"Argh!" Meredith mumbled as she struggled to find the alarm and hit the 'snooze' button. "Is it time to get up already?"

"If you had actually gone to sleep before 3:30am, you would not be so grumpy." Christina replied. "I get to be grumpy because you kept me up, but you do not get to be grumpy. Sad, yes, but not grumpy."

"I do not want to go to work today. I have a feeling. It is not a good feeling, in fact….." Meredith started.

"You have a feeling because you and McDouchebag broke up and you are going on no sleep and a little overkill of tequila last night. Get your ass up and get in the shower!" Christina interjected before Meredith could continue her lamenting.

"Fine, I am getting up, but you are to blame when my feeling that I should stay in bed and feel sorry for myself turns out to be right." Meredith retorted as she jumped out of bed and huffed her way to the bathroom. She came back to the bedroom long enough to say, "And no more mentioning McAss. We are over and he and his scrub nurse can ride off into the sunset for all I care."

Meredith grabs her clothes ard slams the bathroom door.

"Sure you don't care. And I am a chicken…" Christina mumbled sarcastically as she covered her head with the pillow to catch a few more minutes of much needed sleep.

**Mer's Kitchen**

"Alex! Stop eating from the skillet! I am making breakfast for everyone and you are hogging it all before it even finishes cooking!" Izzie yelled at him as he was giving her his best puppy dog face.

"I'm hungry, Iz! After Mer's failed attempt at breakfast yesterday, it is nice to see you back in the kitchen. No one cooks better than you." Alex replied as Izzie broke into a big grin.

Izzie finished the breakfast and yelled for George, Lexie, Meredith, and Christina to join them.

"Something smells good in here," George said as he walked into the kitchen with Lexie close behind.

"Thanks! Hey, Lexie, I heard you are allergic to eggs, so I made a special meal for you." Izzie informed her.

"Thanks, Izzie. I really did not want to have to run to the hospital for another epinephrine injection this morning." Lexie said with a sheepish look on her face as she sat down at the table.

"Yeah, Lex, you looked like your face got stuck in a bee's nest yesterday." George laughed with his mouth full of food.

"Gross, George! Close your mouth! I just wanted to eat what Meredith prepared for me." Lexie replied with a frown.

"Boy you really are codependent. If she asked you to jump off the Space Needle would you do that to gain her approval?" Alex said looking at her with disdain.

"Oh, you are one to talk. You sleep with a married woman every time she shows up at your doorstep for a quickie. Who is codependent?" Izzie replied with a smirk.

"Touche, Iz." Alex pouted as he finished his breakfast and started cleaning up the kitchen

The others followed Alex and the kitchen was quickly cleaned. Alex grabbed his coat. "It is time to get to work. Where are Mer and Christina?"

"Who knows what they are doing! Probably upstairs dancing or doing some stupid bonding thing they do." Izzie snarled as she grabbed her coat. "They are big girls and can take care of themselves. We are not their keepers."

The group headed to work. Meredith and Christina left (late as usual) and made it to the hospital with minutes to spare.

**Derek's Trailer**

"Do you eat trout for breakfast every day?" The Chief inquired as he walked out of his trailer with his Raisin Bran and banana.

"No, sometimes I like to mix things up and have a little Muelsi." Derek replied with a frown.

The chief looked at him and noticed Derek seemed lost in thought, like he was a million miles away.

"You want to talk about it?" The chief asked as he sat down in the chair across from Derek.

"About what?" Derek responded absently.

"About whatever has you looking like you lost your dog." The chief replied with a knowing look on his face.

"I am moving on and it is a positive thing, so why do I feel so sad?" Derek began. "I ended a relationship that was going nowhere and went out with a woman who wants everything I want last night. She is a breath of fresh air and I know she can make me happy, so what is my problem?"

"You still love Meredith." The Chief replied. "Until you get over her, nothing else will last or make you happy. He paused. "Are you sure that things are over for you two?"

"I am sure we are over. She does not want what I want and she does not trust me…..or anyone for that matter." Derek mumbled more to himself than to the Chief.

"Do you really think she is solely to blame for your break-up?" The Chief asked quietly.

"I thought so when we broke up, but she said some things that got me thinking about what I did to hurt the relationship. I even told Rose, my date last night, about the situation and she agreed that I am partly to blame for what happened between me and Meredith. I just……I need to learn from my mistakes with her and try not to make them again with Rose." Derek concluded.

"If you say so…." The Chief responded.

"I say so," Derek retorted. "Now, if you will excuse me, I need to get to the hospital for a craniotomy."

As Derek leaves, the Chief receives a phone call.

"Hi, Webber, it's Long."

"How is life in Alaska?" The Chief replied.

"Freezing and dark! But I did not call to exchange pleasantries. I need a favor and if I remember correctly you owe me one." Long replied.

"What do you need?" Chief asked .

"Here's the situation…….."

And so the day that would change several lives at SGH began……


	2. Chapter 2

Later that morning at SGH the Chief has called an urgent meeting with his Attendings and Residents in the Conference Room:

"A colleague of mine, Dr. William Long, is chief of surgery at Bethel PHS Hospital in Bethel, Alaska. He unexpectedly lost several surgeons and is requesting that I send a team urgently to help him during this crisis. I will take volunteers, first come, and first serve. This is an excellent opportunity for all of you to utilize your skills in a smaller hospital setting. I will allow each resident that goes to bring one of their interns. The Attendings that decide to go will approve all Residents and Interns. Ideally we would have 5 volunteers, but I will allow up to 8 people to go for the experience. We need capable surgeons for this job as staffing is low and they have no room for insecure surgeons. Please take this into consideration quickly as I would like to send out a team first thing in the morning. I will meet again with the Attendings today at 5pm to finalize the plans. Thank you everyone for your time and consideration. Now, get back to work."

Resident's Locker Room

"What a waste of time," Christina grumbled. "I could have been in the OR instead of listening to that crap."

"I think it sounds like a great opportunity," Izzie replied. "You know a chance to help other people instead of always looking out for ourselves and the best surgeries we can get."

"I am volunteering." Meredith added. "I need to get away from this place for awhile and that seems like the perfect way to do it. Who do you think the attendings will be?" She said nervously.

"I could handle a change," Alex said thoughtfully. "Probably Dr. Hahn and the Chief."

"You three would seriously go and leave me here with all of these interns?" Christina said. "Maybe I will volunteer after all. I do not see the pretty boys volunteering, so probably Dr. Hahn and the Chief. Although if Dr. Hahn volunteers, Dr. Sloan will want to go."

"Surely we cannot all go," Meredith said. "Who will they pick if we all volunteer?"

"I guess we will find out because I am in." Christina said smugly, the idea of turning it into a competition making the trip sound more appealing. "He did say he wanted the best, and of course, we all know I am one of the best."

"May the best Residents win" Alex said as he winked at the ladies on his way out of the room.

Chief's Office 5pm

"We actually have more people that volunteered than can go," the Chief began. "Here is a copy of the list of volunteers. I want input from each of you, but since Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Sloan are the two attendings in charge of the trip, their vote will carry more weight. I appreciate their volunteering to take on this job."

Volunteers

Residents:

Izzie Stevens

Alex Karev

Meredith Grey

Christina Yang

Interns:

Dana Sexton

Lexie Grey

Joe Beaver

George O'Malley

Chief: "Dr. Bailey wanted everyone to know that she would love to go, but understandably needs to be home during this time. The plan is to bring two Residents and two interns. What are your thoughts?"

"All the Residents are capable," Dr. Shepherd began silently cursing that Meredith's name was on the list. She was the one he wanted to get away from, and the thoughts of her going made him sick. He could not ban her, though, as she was a gifted surgeon. He had to think business, not personal. "What are the thoughts of everyone else?"

"I am most impressed with Dr. Stevens and Dr. Grey," Dr. Hahn stated. "I think Dr. Yang needs to remain at SGH to learn how to handle and be more respectful of interns. She and Karev could both use some lessons from me."

"I am in agreement with Dr. Hahn," Dr. Sloan quickly stated, earning a glare from Derek and the Chief.

"Okay, I will notify Dr. Grey and Dr. Stevens that they will be going on this trip. Is it fair to allow them to decide which interns go?"

"Sure." The attendings all agreed.

"I also think it would be a good idea to have two nurses from the OR go on the trip. They are familiar with the way each of you operate and will make the transition in Bethel easier. The head nurse, Rose, has volunteered and she chose another nurse, Abigail, to go as well."

Mark laughed out loud at this as Derek gave him a death glare and swift kick under the table that caused Mark to yell out in pain.

"I can trust that you two will act like adults on this trip and be responsible for those you are taking?" The Chief said in a voice that was not at all playful, but demanding.

"Yes, sir" both Dr. Sloan and Shepherd stated.

"Well then, go home and get packed. I will see you in the morning. Now I need to notify the ones that will be going on the trip." The Chief stood up and the rest followed suit.

Mer's House Later that night

Meredith , Izzie, George, and Lexie have finished packing and are hanging out on the couch talking about their trip. Christina and Alex are moping, but hanging out with their friends as it is the last night they will all be together for awhile.

"The Chief was not very specific on what we will be doing or how long we will be there. I wonder what Alaska is like?" Lexie thought out loud.

"He did not even tell us who the attendings are that are going." Meredith realized suddenly and started panicking.

"I am telling you it is Dr. Hahn and Dr. Sloan," Christina snapped. "That is why they did not choose me. She has it out for me."

"I can handle Sloan and Hahn." Meredith replied, looking relieved.

"This is going to be such a fun trip! We get to see a new part of the country and save lives. Isn't Alaska mostly populated by men?" Izzie asked enthusiastically.

"Yeah, men with enough hair to be mistaken for bears." Alex retorted, with a hint of jealousy in his eyes. He silently tries to convince himself that he is jealous that Izzie gets to go on the trip, not of the men she may meet while she is away. "It will be weird to have this place to myself." He suddenly realized he would be the only one left that lived in Mer's house.

"Be careful who you bring home, Alex, and make sure that whatever skank you pick up does not intend to rob me." Meredith said.

"Oh, like that worries you when you bring home random men." Alex retorted.

"I do not do that anymore." Meredith replied vehemently. "I am evolving."

"You mean pining for your McDreamy." Alex replied sarcastically.

"SHUT UP ALEX! He is a McAss and I do not want anything to do with him, including talking about him." Meredith yelled.

"Chill out, no need to get upset." Alex mumbled. "Jeez, you say you do not care, so stop acting like you do."

"I am going to bed." Meredith stated wearily, glad to know she would soon be putting miles between her and the man that seemed to continually break her heart. "We have a long day tomorrow."

The others slowly made their way to their rooms and soon the house was quiet, except for Meredith's snoring, which had become a sound they all became accustomed to and knew meant their friend was sleeping soundly.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews. I do promise that I am a Mer/Der fan all the way! Love them and truly hate the plant storyline. But for whatever reason it was created. I am going to use it with my own spin. It will be bumpy for the couple, but there is no way I would let him end up with Rose!!!!!!!!

This is my first fanfic ever, so any advice you can give me is appreciated! Thanks for reading!

At the airport, the next day…..

Mark, Derek, Rose, and Abigail are on the plane ready for take-off, waiting for the others to show up. Rose snagged a seat next to Derek, leaving Abigail with Mark. Abigail is well aware of Mark's history with nurses and is not impressed with him, so she is upset that Rose deserted her, but knows full well she would do the same thing to get close to Dr. Shepherd. She sighs, and stares out the window. "This is going to be a long flight." She mumbles to herself. Mark laughs and knows she will only be able to resist his charms for so long. He loves the chase more than the catch anyway.

Meanwhile, in the seats across from them:

Rose: Derek, I am so excited about this trip. It will be a great experience for us to enjoy together as we learn more about each other. I am happy to share this with you!

Derek: I think it will be great, Rose. I am glad you are coming along. We operate well together. (Gives her his McDreamy smile).

Rose (giggles): Yes we do. And I have a feeling we would operate well together in other ways than the OR.

This caused Derek to blush and he abruptly excused himself saying he wanted to check to see where the others were. He motioned for Mark to follow him.

Mark: What's wrong with you? Rose is practically giving you an open invitation. Time to get back in the saddle my friend.

Derek: I just do not want to rush this…..I don't know…..What is wrong with me?

Mark: You need to join the mile high club. Rose is a willing participant, so once this plane takes off….

Derek: We are supposed to be the role models for this trip you idiot! We have to be responsible and set an example. Rose and I will develop our relationship, but it will not be by joining the mile high club……at least not on the flight **to **Alaska…… (he ended with a smirk).

Mark: That's more like it! My friend is getting back into the swing of things.

Derek: Not to change the subject, but where are our residents and interns? They should have been here 15 minutes ago!

As he spoke, Izzie, Meredith, George, and Lexie come running up the stairs to the plane. All are out of breath and looking sheepish.

George: Sorry we are late. Uh……we sort of forgot to set our alarm clocks.

Meredith: George, we needed a better excuse than that!

George: Well, it is the truth!

Mark: Stop it you two! This is not a good way to start this trip. I know you think it is party time because you have me and Shepherd looking after you, but we do have rules and we do expect you to follow them!

Meredith's eyes met Derek's as she realized he is going on the trip. She looked away quickly cursing under her breath. "D$#&t. I can't get a break."

Derek overheard her and said sarcastically: Trust me, you are not the only one unhappy about sharing a trip with your ex.

Meredith looked up, letting anger get the better of her: TRUST you? Seriously?! What a joke! Believe me, if I had known you were chaperoning this trip, I would not have signed up!"

Derek (getting angry): Well maybe you should have checked on that before agreeing to come!

Mark: Whoa you two. Settle down. You will have plenty of time to fight it out of your systems later on, but let's get this show on the road. The pilot is ready to leave and we are already behind schedule.

Meredith takes a seat next to George and Izzie sits next to Lexie. Mark and Derek get back in their original seats. The pilot makes the announcement for takeoff.

As the plane is taking off, Meredith looks at George with a look of despair.

Meredith: Could this trip get any worse, George?

George: Mer, I do not want to be the one to tell you this, but someone has to and it will definitely answer a resounding YES to your question….

Meredith: What is it George? I am not in the mood for games!

George (apologetically): It looks like they invited a few nurses to go on the trip.

He pointed to where Derek and Mark are seated.

Meredith: You don't mean……

George: Yeah, the one next to Derek is Rose!

Meredith looks around her seat to catch a glimpse of this woman, but is unable to see more than her hair as she is at the window seat and Derek is in the aisle seat. Sighing and sitting back, Meredith decides maybe this trip was not such a good idea after all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the support! I am always open to constructive criticism (key word being constructive). **

**I have read a few other ****fics**** and noticed the disclaimers….No, I have no ownership or say in Grey's Anatomy or I would have very different storylines and….well… the plant would never have made an appearance……Thank God for ****ficland.**

**(Although the latest is that we are getting 4-5 more GA episodes starting in April)!!!!!!! Yeah!!!**

**belairdesi: I love the idea of Mer/Der joining the Mile High Club. I have already written a good portion of this fic and it is posted on another sight, so that may be an idea for the future...**

**If there was any doubt as to how I feel about Rose, you will find out now...**

Arriving at the Bethel Airport:

Hours later, the tired group arrives at their destination, Bethel, Alaska. Dr. William Long is present to welcome the group.

Dr. Long: Thank you for coming at such short notice. I know you all have lives and responsibilities back in Seattle and I promise we will make this as short of a trip as possible for you. The hospital is anxiously awaiting your arrival, but I do want to give you an opportunity to freshen up and check in to your hotel suites that will be your home for the next month or so. I have a van ready to take you to the hotel, and then it will transport you to Bethel PHS Hospital around 3pm this afternoon. We will have a meeting to update you on our most urgent needs and go from there. The hotel is actually located a block from the hospital, so it will not be difficult to walk to the hospital as needed, but I will ensure you have transportation for anything you may need. The hotel staff will prepare your meals and service you in any manner you need. I look forward to meeting and working with each and every one of you. If you work with Richard, you must be the best.

With that, Dr. Long departed. The group retrieved their luggage and boarded the van to the hotel. They were all too tired and too busy taking in the scenery of their new temporary home to do much talking or fighting.

The hotel was more than they expected in such a small town:

rooms were divided up so that two people had to share one room. The rooms were all on the 10th floor and had spectacular views. The rooms were assigned as follows:

Meredith and Izzie

Abigail and Rose

Derek and Mark

George and Lexie

Each went to their assigned rooms and unpacked, getting excited about their new home and journey. All decided to take a nap to get rested up as they knew their vacation was almost over and they would be working with not much free time for the next month.

At 2:30, Izzie and Meredith are ready and go down to the lobby of the hotel to wait for the van. They are anxious to check out the new hospital. As they exit the elevator, they run into Abigail and Rose.

Rose: Hey girls! I do not think we have 'officially' met. I am Rose and this is Abigail. We are circulating nurses at SGH. I know we have worked with you both, but we never had a chance to be formally introduced. I am excited to be here! This will be fun, don't you think?

Izzie glanced at Meredith who looked like she wished the floor would swallow her up.

Izzie: Hi, I am Dr. Izzie Stevens and this is Dr. Meredith Grey.

Rose stuck out her hand to shake with Izzie and Meredith, but Meredith looked away.

Abigail: Meredith, my mother worked with your mother in the OR and always talked about what a terrific surgeon she was. I am sorry to hear about her passing. My mother died three years ago, but it still seems like yesterday. I miss her so much.

Meredith: What was your mother's name?

Abigail: Donna Smith.

Meredith: Yes, my mom loved having her as her circulating nurse. She was picky about who she allowed in the OR with her, but she was always complimentary of your mother.

Abigail: That is good to know. Thanks.

Meredith: Sure.

An awkward silence followed and no one seemed to know what to say. Before anyone could come up with another topic to discuss, the elevators opened and out walked Mark and Derek. Rose's face lit up as she practically ran over to Derek to hug him. Abigail stayed behind and noticed the tears that formed in Meredith's eyes, but quickly disappeared as she wiped them away and put on her brave face. As she looked back over at her friend, Rose, she could not help but see that Derek looked much less excited to see her and kept glancing over to Meredith, trying to make eye contact. Meredith was doing her best to focus on the pattern on the floor tile to keep from seeing the two being so intimate.

Rose: Did you get settled into your room? You know, our rooms are right next to each other.

(She leaned in whispering conspiratorially to Derek). You know, if we get Abby and Mark to hook up, maybe we can switch roommates? (She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and gave Derek a hopeful smile).

Derek: We will see Rose. I have to focus on work right now, okay?

Rose: Sure. You focus on work and I will focus on matchmaking!

Derek: Sure…..okay.

Rose (suggestively): You know, Derek, you do have to find a way to unwind after a long, stressful day at work!

Derek: Yeah, you know, I heard they have a spa that offers great massages in the hotel. I might have to sign up for a few of those!

Rose: Count me in! We can do couples massages!

Derek: Uh….we'll see.

Derek turned to the rest of the group who were rolling their eyes and looking at Derek and Rose like they were all ready to vomit. Meredith was the only one pretending she had not heard any of the conversation. Derek kept trying to get her to look at him, but her eyes remained fixed on the floor. He gave up pleading with his eyes and focused on getting into his 'boss mode.' He knew he needed to focus to keep this group together and on task. Lexie and George had joined them at that point and everyone started filing into the van for the short trip to the hospital.

**Ok - could Rose get more annoying????? I put her character like that because she annoys me on the show.**


	5. Chapter 5

At the hospital, they followed the signs to the conference room as Dr. Long had instructed.

Dr. Long: Welcome to Bethel PHS Hospital! I hope you had time to rest and get settled into your new homes. Let me tell you a little about what we are up against. In the past six months we have lost three of our five surgeons. Their unexpected departure has left us in quite a bind. We lost our neurosurgeon, orthopedic surgeon, and gynecologist. I am left with our cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Andrew Williamson, who will be taking you on a tour of the hospital in a few minutes. Dr. Williamson has been most helpful to me and the two of us have been staying at the hospital non-stop, catching sleep when we can. Our hospital may be small, but we have felt the impact of losing three surgeons tremendously. I hope you realize that this will not be a vacation by any means, but will be long hours with little sleep at times. We appreciate your willingness to help us and will do everything we can to ensure we get replacements in as quickly as possible. I have already interviewed a neurosurgeon and have several leads to replace the others. Now I will leave you to Dr. Williamson, my best friend and colleague. He has been a lifesaver to me over the past six months and has jumped into surgeries that are not in his specialty to help me. Dr. Williamson………

Dr. Williamson: Thank you Bill. I welcome you to our hospital. It may seem small in comparison to where you came from, but I grew up in this town and this place has been a landmark of history in my upbringing. I would like for each of you to introduce yourselves, so I can begin the process of getting to know you. If you will begin. (He points to Dr. Sloan).

Mark: Hi, I am Dr. Mark Sloan, head of plastics at SGH. I realize that is a specialty that is probably not really needed at present, but I also perform general surgery and have done orthopedics as well. I moved to Seattle last year after establishing my career in New York. I am happy to be here and to have my best friend with me, Dr. Derek Shepherd.

Derek: Hi, I am Dr. Derek Shepherd, heard of neuro at SGH. I also came from New York, but Seattle is definitely my home. I am happy to be here to help in any way I can. I can only imagine what losing three surgeons in such a short period of time would do to the hospital.

Dr. Williamson (eyeing Derek with interest): Dr. Shepherd…..that name sounds familiar……Bill, isn't he the one Richard chose to take his place as chief but he turned it down?

The rest of the SGH group looked up shocked and gasped. Mark looked at his friend like he was a complete stranger. They did not know anything about this. They assumed Dr. Webber had decided to remain chief. Izzie looked at Meredith and asked "Did you know this?" Meredith shook her head but kept studying Derek. He looked visibly upset and nervous. She knew he never allowed himself to get noticeably nervous in business, but he looked like he was ready to disappear.

Why in the world did he turn down the chief position? Meredith wondered. He fought for it for so long. It was the main reason he came to Seattle in the first place. It was what he talked about continually for months when the race for chief was in progress. Something did not add up and she wanted to get to the bottom of it……but, she knew now it really was none of her business. They were finished. He had made that perfectly clear. Still, why had he never told her he was offered the position and turned it down? She considered this briefly, but then remembered he also never told her he was married or that he kissed Rose. Obviously he was good at leaving out important details! She sighed audibly and returned her focus to the group.

Dr. Long: Uh, I believe so, but that is not why he is here now is it?

Dr. Williamson: No, I guess not (but he continued to study Derek with a look that was unreadable)…….. Okay, who is next?

Derek motioned for the rest of the group to stand up as he called their name.

Derek: This is Rose McThorn and Abigail Thomas, both circulating nurses at SGH. They were kind enough to volunteer their time to travel with us to make life in the OR a little easier since they know how we operate.

Behind them are Dr. Meredith Grey and Dr. Isobel Stevens, two first year residents that have shown remarkable talent and skill in their 1.5 years at SGH……..

Dr. Williamson interrupted Derek before he could continue. He could not take his eyes off of the one Dr. Shepherd had pointed out as Dr. Grey. She was beautiful, flawless……perfect, he thought. Just perfect for his plans.

Dr. Williamson: Dr. Grey….by any chance are you related to the famous Dr. Ellis Grey?

Meredith looked up embarrassed and uncomfortable. "Yes, sir, uh……she was my mother."

Dr. Long: Did you say 'was'?

Meredith: Yes, she passed away earlier this year.

Dr. Long: I am sorry to hear that. She was great friends with Dr. Webber. I am surprised he never mentioned it to me. Okay, Dr. Shepherd, please continue.

Derek paused briefly as he watched Meredith to make sure she was okay before continuing. His heart ached at the look of sorrow on her face when her mother was mentioned. He also noticed that

Dr. Williamson had not taken his eyes off Meredith once since her introduction. He was not happy, and would never admit it to himself, but he was jealous. His first impression of this Dr. Williamson was that he was used to getting what he wanted. He would watch him closely. Though he had to remind himself, he no longer has any say in who Meredith chooses to spend her time with. Still….something was off about this man and he was not sure what it was………He had to focus on the task at hand for now.

Derek: Last, but not least, we have Dr. Lexie Grey and Dr. George O'Malley, two first year interns that seem to have what it takes to make great surgeons. They are here more to learn, but will be a great benefit to you as well…….I am

Dr. Williamson interrupted (to Meredith): Any relation between you two? (He asked, pointing at Lexie).

Meredith: Um, yes…..she is my sister…..half sister actually……we have the same father.

Dr. Long: That is enough with the personal questions Andrew. Move along with the tour of the hospital. After the tour, my wife and I would love to have all of you join us for dinner at our home. I will see you there.

The group headed out of the conference room towards the OR with Dr. Williamson leading the way.

Dr. Long's Home

After their extensive tour of the OR and meeting the staff, the group traveled via van to the chief's home for dinner. Dr. Williamson decided to join them and decided this was a great time to get to know Meredith a little better.

Mrs. Long welcomed them each with a hug and smile. She reminded them of the grandmotherly type and they all liked her instantly.

Mrs. Long: We are delighted to have you here! I know the food at the hotel can get old after awhile, so anytime you want a home cooked meal, just stop by. Bill is not here for dinner often anyway and I love company. Now, let's have a seat in the dining room. No assigned seats, just first come, first serve.

Dr. Williamson (Andrew) waited for Meredith to grab a seat, and then quickly chose a seat next to her. Somehow Mark ended up on the other side of her and she was overwhelmed by testosterone. She searched frantically for Izzie and Lexie who ended up across the table from her.

Andrew: Dr. Grey, do you mind if I call you Meredith?

Meredith: No, that is fine.

Andrew: So, since this dinner is to get to know each other better, tell me a little about yourself.

Meredith hated that question. She always dreaded this question when she met someone knew be it male or female. She quickly told him that she grew up in Seattle, went to medical school and decided to become a surgeon, traveled around Europe, and then returned to start her internship and residency.

Andrew: Do you know what specialty you prefer yet?

Meredith: I am leaning towards general surgery right now.

Andrew: Your mother was a general surgeon, correct?

Meredith: Yes…..so, tell me about yourself. (She decided to change the topic from her to him).

Andrew: I grew up here with my parents and brother. My mother died when I was a teenager, in an accident. My father lives here still and my brother moved to Florida with his partner and two adopted children. He wanted to live where the sun shines every day! I obviously love cold weather since I came back after medical school! I went to Harvard and then had my residency at John's Hopkins. I love being a surgeon…..the power of being able to heal or restore health. I love my job. The only thing missing is that someone special to complete me and maybe a kid or two…..(They both laugh)……Life is short, and you have to go after what you want before it passes you by.

Meredith: That is very true. Once it is gone……there is no getting it back.

Andrew: I have learned that lesson the hard way. My first love died in a car accident before I got a chance to tell her that I love her. I have regretted it ever since. I wanted to tell her so many times, but always stopped myself due to fear. Fear can be a good thing, but it can also hinder our goals.

They continued to chat changing the topic to lighthearted issues while they ate. She found he had a great sense of humor and they ended up laughing through much of the evening.

Derek was watching Meredith and Andrew from across the table where he sat between Lexie and Rose. He was trying desperately to follow the conversation between Rose, Lexie, and himself, but he was continually distracted…..especially when Andrew and Meredith would start laughing. Her laughing and flirting with this man made him quickly lose his appetite until he found himself getting angry.

'She wants to find someone else so soon…..well so will I.' He thought to himself, and then realized he already had started a relationship with Rose. He decided it was time to focus more on developing his relationship with her and less time on thinking about what Meredith was doing. He forced himself to tune back into the conversation between Rose and Lexie who were talking about what colors are the most slimming for a woman. All Derek could think about was how quickly he wanted this evening to end. He decided another glass of wine would be a good thing.

Mark watched his friend Derek closely while continuing his pursuit of Abigail. She was easy to talk to and flirt with and he had no problem focusing on both tasks at the same time. She was starting to fall for his charms, he could tell. The three glasses of merlot had helped, he had to admit, but still……he knew he was gifted with the ladies. As far as Derek was concerned, he knew his friend needed a little push. While Mark enjoyed the fact that Meredith and Rose were both going to be on this trip and actually hoped for a cat fight between them, he could see Derek was not handling the situation well. His friend needed to let go and move on and what better way to help mend their friendship, than to help him along…….

He had an idea……..

Izzie and George watched all of the people interacting at the table and gave their observations to each other. They were back to best friends and both were never happier.

Izzie: Meredith looks the happiest I have seen her since before her mom died. Andrew is cute, don't you think?

George: Izzie, I do not see men as CUTE! I notice women, remember?! She does look like she is having a good time, though.

Izzie: Just because you are a man does not mean you cannot appreciate another man who is good looking, George! I am a heterosexual woman and I notice when other women are attractive.

George: There is a difference between 'cute' and 'attractive.' Cute is not a word men use to describe anything…..except maybe a baby…..

Izzie: Fine, George, he is hot……is that better?

George: Yeah, I will give you hot…….Do you think that Rose girl is hot?

Izzie: Definitely not!!!!! Unless you like the horse teeth crossed with a bug eyed look!

George: I think she is kind of pretty…..but definitely not as pretty as Meredith!

Izzie: Please do not let Meredith here you say that! I just spoke to her for the first time today and she seems kind of shallow to me……I think she is after Derek's money…..

George: And maybe the fact that he is like the most sought after bachelor at SGH……

Izzie: Yeah, maybe that too….I would say he could do much better, but I am starting to think he is getting just what he deserves. He does not look like he is having nearly as much fun as Meredith!

George: Or Sloan for that matter. That man could pick up a woman at a convent! How does he do it?

Izzie: He is hot, George……sexy and hot! And he knows how to use it!

George: If you will excuse me, I need to go the bathroom. I feel some McVomit coming on……

**I will try submitting 2 chapters/day so you will be caught up with the other site. Love George and Izzie (as friends)! Thanks for your support. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the encouraging comments!**

**Later that night…..**

**Mer**** and ****Izzie's**** Room**

Izzie and Meredith are in their hotel room getting ready for bed and talking about the day.

Izzie: Dr. Williamson seems really nice……

Meredith: You mean Andrew? Yeah, he does. He is down-to-earth and funny. There is something mysterious about him I cannot put my finger on, but he is someone I hope to operate with. I think he could teach us all a lot.

Izzie (climbing into bed): Mer, since this whole trust issue with your dad and Derek, do you think you will always be suspicious of men when you first meet them?

Meredith: Probably…..maybe……I do not know…..I am just going to enjoy the trip and focus on work and staying away from Derek! I think hanging out with Andrew may help me overcome some of my trust issues. I will give it a shot.

Meredith turns off the light and gets into bed.

Meredith: Night, Iz.

Izzie: Night Mer.

Meredith went to sleep thinking about what Izzie had said and about Andrew. She knew she was not ready to meet anyone else yet, but she felt herself drawn to this man who seemed to have shared some of the same life experiences she had. They had just met, but he already seemed to understand her in a way that no other man ever had.

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**Derek and Mark's Room**

Mark: I invited Abigail over to spend the night.

Derek: You WHAT?! How am I supposed to get sleep with you two going at it right next to me?!

Mark: Maybe you should go room with Rose……..

Derek: We are not ready for that yet.

Mark: So sleep in Abigail's bed. I am not saying have sex with Rose, I am saying if you want sleep, you may want to try another room.

Derek: Fine! I hope this is not the beginning of a long month of trying to find a place for me to sleep!

Mark: Hey, man, you are just jealous because I am getting laid and you are not…..although you easily could if you would just give Rose a freaking chance.

Derek: I am giving Rose a chance, but we are taking it slow! I would not expect you to understand that!

A knock on the door interrupts their conversation. Mark opens it to find Abigail, giggling and slightly intoxicated, jumping up and straddling Mark's waist with her legs. Derek rolls his eyes, grabs his things, and heads out the door.

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**Rose and Abigail's Room**

Derek knocked on the door to Rose's room while quickly trying to decide how to let Rose know he had no intentions of having sex with her tonight. Rose quickly opened the door, grabbed his hand, and pulled him inside. She was dressed in a black negligee and it was obvious she was ready for an eventful night.

Rose: Put your things down, Derek and come join me by the fire.

Derek had to admit she was looking quite appealing in the negligee and he noticed himself getting hard at the sight of her almost naked body. He sat down in the floor next to the fire and Rose sat down in his lap, straddling him. Before he had time to react, she was kissing him passionately and unbuttoning his shirt. For a moment he responded, but then remembered who he was with and pulled back from her.

Rose: What is wrong, Derek? I have condoms, if that is what you are worried about.

Derek: No, it's just…..Rose, I know this is not something you normally hear from a man, but I really want us to take things slow. I want to get to know your personality and your dreams and your loves and your quirks before we move down the physical path. I am not saying that I do not want this, because I do. Something is holding me back and I need to work it out in my head. Soon, okay, but not now.

Rose tried to hide her disappointment. Deep down she knew it was more than what he was saying. It was Meredith. She did not dwell on this, though because she was determined to have Derek to herself and would wait as long as it took to get him. She knew if they continued to spend nights together, he would not be able to resist forever. She could make him forget all about Meredith Grey. After all, he is a man……..she thought as she gave him her best effort at an understanding smile.

Rose: Okay, then how about we just sit here and talk for awhile?

Derek: We can for a few minutes, but I really want to get a good night's sleep since tomorrow will be our first day at the hospital.

They talked about the beautiful scenery and what type of surgeries they may be in on the next day. After a few minutes, they went to their separate beds and went to sleep.

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_Derek's Trailer (First night they spent at his trailer – Pre __Addy__, Pre Rose, Pre Problems) _

_Derek and Meredith are getting out of the shower after a few rounds of sex and washing. Derek grabs a towel and starts drying off Meredith, starting with her hair and moving slowly down her body, taking his time and giving 'special attention' to each part of her. Meredith returns the favor….._

_"We are really good at this," Derek whispered in her ear when they finished. He grabbed her hand and led her back to the bed. Meredith felt a familiar shiver run through her as she felt his warm breath on her ear. She giggled her famous Meredith giggle and said "Derek __have__ you not had enough?! I am sore….and hungry…..for food!" She started getting dressed. He followed her lead._

_"Fine, I will fix breakfast" he muttered and went to the kitchen to make omelets. They ate in silence, using their eyes to do most of their communicating. After finishing the dishes, Derek grabbed their coats and said, "Let's go for a walk."_

_They walked hand-in-hand for what seemed like forever to Meredith. She finally turned to him and said, "Derek, where are you taking me?! Are you planning on getting me lost and abandoning me in the woods?" Derek gave her his signature smile as he chuckled. "Do you really not trust me? Why did you agree to come with me last night when I would not tell you where I was taking you?"_

_"Well…..I do trust you or whatever…..I just……you see these kinds of things in movies and I have always had this fear that I would meet this charming man, fall for him, and then he would turn out to be………… you know, psycho………. or something, and would torture and kill me and leave me somewhere remote to die. I did not picture you as the psycho type, but…….."_

_Derek busted out laughing at that and pulled her into his arms. "Do you know how much I love to hear you ramble? And for the record, if I was psycho I would have gotten rid of you a long time ago! Your quirks could send a psycho over the edge quickly." He ended with a wink and a smirk._

_"Hey! That is just mean!" Meredith said as she punched him in the arm._

_"OW!" He yelped. "I am kidding…….sort of….."_

_She stuck her lower lip out in a pout and gave him her best puppy dog face. He caved instantly and grabbed her in a hug that swept her off her feet and planted a large, wet kiss on her lips."I love to tease you, too!"_

_"Yeah, well, I will make sure to return the favor," she said as she threw her hands around his neck and drew him down for a longer, softer kiss._

_"Now, if you will stop distracting me with your hot body, I will show you where I am taking you. We are almost there." Derek stated, and then added, "If you want to take a detour we could back up against that tree and have a replay of this morning."_

_"Keep walking, you horny man. I will decide if you get sex after I see where you are taking me." Meredith retorted. They resumed their walk._

_"Oh, when you see it, there will be sex." Derek assured her with a smug grin._

_"You think you are so hot!" Meredith laughed._

_"I know I am!" He answered._

_"At least you are modest…." Meredith muttered, more to herself than to him._

_A moment later they arrived at their destination._

_"Derek……__it is absolutely amazing__! I have never seen a more beautiful view! Is this part of your land?" Meredith walked to__wards the edge of the cliff to further study the spectacular scenery which included a lake below._

_"Yes, it is all __mine__. I plan to build a house here one day……" Derek trailed off, not ready to complete the rest of the sentence yet, but he knew he would tell her one day that the house would be hers also. He had some unfinished business to take care of first._

_"You definitely should….one day…." She trailed off, thinking about how much she hoped it would be her home too. She quickly brought herself back to reality and focused on her peaceful surroundings._

_They sat on the ground next to each other and admired the view, talking and laughing, enjoying each other's company. _

_When their conversation hit a lull, Meredith leaned over to Derek and whispered in his ear, "You definitely get rewarded for showing me this." She started kissing his earlobe and worked her way down his neck to where his shirt was buttoned. As she started unbuttoning his shirt, he grabbed her face and pulled her up to him for a passionate kiss. She continued undressing him as he moved his lips down her neck and started using his hands to remove her shirt. "Oh, God Derek……" She moaned._

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**Present day……**

Derek mumbled, "Mer, baby, oh, honey" in his sleep and started tossing and turning. Rose heard him and quickly jumped up and shook him awake before returning to her bed. It took him a minute to realize where he was and his heart sunk in disappointment. What he would not give to live that day again. Why had he not just told her about his separation with Addison? Why did he not choose her? Why? Why? Why?

At the same time, Meredith was shouting Derek's name at the top of her voice causing Izzie to yell at her to wake her. "Damn it, Mer, I would rather hear your snoring." Izzie said. "Sorry," Meredith replied quietly as she continued to replay that day in her head and tears streamed down her face. She could not help but wonder if the psycho lover would have been much less painful.

**So, yeah, sorry for the DeRose moment...I did not enjoy it, but I am trying to show just how much Derek is not over Meredith. I hope the Mer/Der flashback gave you a little reprieve (and taste of the future maybe)? Time will tell. **

**Andrew - well, you will learn about him as the fic continues. Is he a good guy or not? What do you think?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Please note that before things get better between Mer/Der and they start to work on things, they will get worse!!!!! I am not doing it to torture you, but to make what happens later on more special. I know parts are not fun to read, but hang in there if you will. Also to clarify a few things that have confused some of you...this is mostly a Mer/Der fic. They are toying around with thoughts of other people right now, but that is because they are avoiding their problems instead of facing them with each other. This will not continue forever (and it will be shorter than it probably will be on the show)...Mark/Izzie do happen, but it is a 'backburner' story if you will. Things start to heat up between them in about 4-5 chapters. I will post 2 chapters a day until you are caught up with where my readers on the other site are in this story...I do not want to post too much too fast, because it takes away from the impact. Stay tuned...and as always thanks for taking time to comment and read. I will start commenting at the end of each chapter to hopefully let you into my thought process a little better. I am new at this, so I am learning :)**

**The next morning…..**

Derek is up early and cleans up in Rose's bathroom. He is deep in thought wondering what the day holds for the group as they start their first day at the hospital as he walks out of her room. Meredith is coming down the hall at the same time and practically runs him over on the way back to her room. He does a double-take before saying, "Good morning. You are up early!"

She starts to respond with a smile when Rose opens the door and says, "Derek, you left your razor in the shower."

Derek's heart sinks as he sees Meredith's facial expression immediately turn from hopeful to hurt.

"Uh….thanks" He replies to Rose as he quickly grabs his razor and turns back to where Meredith was standing. She had already disappeared and he heard the door to her room close. "Damnit," He muttered as he stood still a moment trying to decide what to do. He definitely did not need this today. He had work to do and a group to lead. He had to focus. His 'boss' mode took over and he quickly made his way to the elevator. His insanely chaotic personal life would have to be put on a temporary hold. He did not have the energy to think everything through. This was not the time for those decisions. He had to wait for now. He shook his head in disgust when he realized ironically, that the one thing Meredith needed that he could not provide was time, and now he wanted time.

Meredith leaned against the door and slowly dropped to the floor once she got to her room. She would never have believed it if she had not seen it with her own eyes. Derek had really moved on and was getting serious with Rose. He spent the night with her! She did not understand how he did it so quickly. "Did I really mean that little to him? Was I that easy to get over?" She thought as she struggled to catch her breath. The thought of Derek and Rose kissing had already made her nauseated, but this……..this made her absolutely sick. She found enough strength to run to the bathroom and empty the contents of her stomach as she sobbed. Izzie was in the shower and stuck her head out when she heard Meredith. She saw Meredith lie on the bathroom floor sobbing.

"Are you okay, Mer?" Izzie asked, watching her friend trying to regain control of her emotions.

"I……I…..I'm……I will be……okay. I just realized…….I am… alone." Meredith managed to say between sobs. Izzie's presence was starting to have a calming effect on her and her breathing soon returned to normal. Izzie jumped out of the shower, wrapped herself in a towel, and lay down next to her friend to offer her comfort.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Izzie asked.

"Not yet, but maybe later." Meredith replied quietly. "Yeah, definitely later, Iz."

"Okay…..It will be okay Meredith….whatever it is." Izzie grabbed her friends hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before adding, "And you are not alone."

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They all arrived at the hospital at 6am to get an idea of what the day would hold for them.

Dr. Long met with Derek and Mark to update them on the patients awaiting surgery and sent the interns and residents to the ER to await any incoming patients. The nurses went to the OR to familiarize themselves with the area and location of supplies.

Dr. Long's Office

"I think I will put Mark in charge of the orthopedic cases while he is here. We get broken bones and dislocated joints daily with all of the outdoor work the people who live around here do for a living.

I have a special case for you today, Derek," Dr. Long began. My dearest friend, Jack Warner, who also happens to be Mayor of Bethel, has a beautiful granddaughter. She is 11 years old and her name 7 years old and her name is Sarah. She was brought to the ER a few weeks ago with transient vision loss, headaches, and dizziness. Her parents state she has gradually been experiencing worsening symptoms. A CT of her head revealed a Pineal Tumor.

At those words, Derek looked at Dr. Long in disbelief. "Are you sure? I need to see the films. That is an extremely rare tumor."

"Of course we want you to review all of her records. She is on 5th floor and her parents have been researching who to send her to for surgery. As soon as we found out you were coming to help at Bethel, the parents were notified and decided to wait for you to evaluate her. They are hoping you will operate as well." Dr. Long studied Derek closely as he relayed the information and handed the x-rays to him. "Of course, you will have to ultimately decide if you want to operate."

Derek studied the CT scan and lab work and frowned. "She definitely needs surgery, and soon. I need to do a little research, but I will do it. It is in a dangerous place and will be risky, but they are fast growing tumors and she will not survive long without having it removed."

"Well, you just tell me what you need and it is yours." Dr. Long replied quickly.

Derek focused on saving this little girl's life. "Dr. Grey will assist and I want Dr. O'Malley in on the case as well. Mark, why don't you take Dr. Stevens and Dr. Grey for your cases today?"

"Sounds fine, but which Dr. Grey are you referring to?" Mark replied with a smirk on his face.

"I was thinking Meredith would be best for what I need…..uh…..the patient needs…..to help ensure this is a successful surgery. She is one of our most promising residents" Derek replied as he realized that he was speaking the truth, not just something on his heart. For that moment he thought he could definitely maintain a professional relationship with her after all. She was a great surgeon and would go far in her career. He had always admired her intelligence and desire to do the right thing. Okay, he thought, enough about Meredith…..back to Sarah. "Okay, I want to meet this young lady and her parents. Please page Dr. Meredith Grey and Dr. O'Malley to meet me in Sarah's room and clear an OR room as soon as possible as this will be a long surgery."

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Sarah was sitting up in bed watching _Hannah Montana_ while her parents sat anxiously by her when Derek walked into the room and introduced himself. Meredith and George walked into the room a few minutes after Derek and he introduced them. Meredith made sure to maintain her distance and avoid eye contact with Derek. She focused on Sarah who was about to have risky, but necessary surgery. She was a beautiful little girl with a magnetic smile that was almost heartbreaking. It was easy to see she did not feel well, but she had a peace about her and trust in her eyes that made her seem unbreakable. Derek explained the situation at length with her and her parents and put the explanation in words Sarah could understand.

"So my brain looks like a piece of cauliflower and you have to remove a tomato that is growing on it?" Sarah asked deep in thought. "Why would a tomato grow in my brain?"

"It is actually a tumor growing in your brain, and I do not know why it is growing in your brain, but it is not supposed to be there" Derek replied, laughing a little at Sarah's obviously active imagination. "It is about the size of a baby tomato. Do you know what that is?"

"Of course I know how big a baby tomato is, Dr. Shepherd!" Sarah exclaimed indignantly. "It is about this big." She showed the size she was referring to with her hands.

"That is exactly right, Sarah! You are a smart girl!" George complimented the girl, fascinated by the curiosity and awe, but also the bravery the young child was showing.

Derek looked at George. "Dr. O'Malley, I am going to have you prep Sarah for surgery while Dr. Grey and I speak in private to Mr. and Mrs. Warner, okay?"

Everyone agreed as Sarah had already taken to George. She thought he seemed like a fun big kid. The other's left the room as George started preparing Sarah.

Sarah started with questions as soon as the others left the room.

"What is your first name, Dr. O'Malley?"

"George."

"Like Curious George?"

"Yeah, in more ways than one."

"How are you like him? Do you like bananas?"

"Yes, I like bananas, but mostly, I am just curious."

"Curious about what?"

"Everything……how a girl who is only 7 years old can be so smart and brave."

"Hey, I am almost 8 years old!!!! Then I will be a big girl!"

George silently hoped she would live to see her 8th birthday. In the few minutes they had spent together he had totally fallen for the charming child. "Are you going to have a birthday party?"

"Yes, a BIG one! And guess what kind of party it will be?" Hannah asked excitedly.

"Um….a Curious George one?"

"No, silly, Curious George is for babies. I am going to be a big girl. My party will be a Hannah Montana party!"

"Well that sounds great!"

"Dr. O'Malley?"

"Yes, Sarah?"

"Will you like to come to my birthday party?" She asked hopefully.

"I would love to and I will if you invite me, okay?" George replied with a smile and hoped he could keep his promise.

"Oh, you are definitely invited!" Sarah replied with a satisfied grin.

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The surgery was the longest Derek ever remembered in his career, but after 14 hours in surgery, little Sarah's pineal tumor was successfully removed with the assistance of Meredith and George. Derek was relieved the surgery was over not only because he was tired, but because it had been an awkward surgery with Meredith and Rose in the same OR with him. He was proud of Meredith who maintained her professional demeanor and focused on helping him save the little girl. Rose, however, had blatantly tried to flirt with him during surgery, trying to remain the center of attention, and seemingly trying to get a rise out of Meredith. Meredith had done her best to ignore her, but he noticed she was close to tears a few times. He could not believe Rose had been so unfocused on the task at hand. A little girl's life was at stake and it was a risky surgery. If something had gone wrong because of Rose's behavior, he did not know what he would have done. He was furious and knew he needed to address it. It confused him, though, because Rose had never been like that before. This was new. All he knew was that after 14 hours of complicated surgery, he was fed up, but too tired to deal with it at that moment.

"Great job, Dr. Grey and Dr. O'Malley" Derek told them as they washed up in the scrub room. "Thanks to your assistance, Sarah has a chance of living a normal life. I will go talk to her parents, but I would like for one of you to stay at her bedside. It would be best if one of us is there to assess her continually." Now they had to wait to see if the little girl would wake up. One of the biggest complications of the surgery was a permanent coma. He knew if she did not wake up in the next 24 hours, the chances of her ever waking up were less than 10. Monitoring during this time was critical and he knew these two were up to the task at hand.

Meredith and George agreed with him and George told them he wanted to sit by her bedside. The truth was that he wanted to be by her bedside until she woke up. He felt a special bond with her and had only known her a few hours. Derek and Meredith knew George had bonded with Sarah and that it would be best for him to be there when she woke up, so they agreed.

Derek went to talk to the parents. He had asked Meredith if she wanted to go and then grab some food, but Meredith quickly declined his offer. He figured she would but he wanted a chance to talk to her about the morning encounter and fully explain what had happened. He did not know why he cared, but he did not want her to think he replaced her so quickly. It seemed cruel and unjust. He continued to mull over the situation and he went to talk to the family while George headed to Sarah's bedside, and Meredith went to get food for her and George.

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Meredith hurried to the cafeteria, wanting to get food quickly and get away before Derek got to there. She was exhausted, physically, emotionally, and mentally, and just wanted food and sleep. Since they were all working a 48 hour shift, she knew she would not get much rest, but a few hours even in an on-call room sounded heavenly at the moment. All of the events of the day had depleted her of the energy to really think about what it all meant.

As she got in line, she heard a familiar voice follow her.

"That was a great surgery," Dr. Williamson stated. "I am very impressed with your skills, Dr. Grey." He added with a flirtatious smile. "I did not get to see the whole thing, but from what I saw you practically ran the show."

"Thanks, but I think Dr. Shepherd was the leader. I just followed his instructions." Meredith replied.

"Well you two connect well in surgery. You have obviously operated with him long enough to know how he works and vice versa. It was natural."

"Yeah, we have been in quite a few surgeries together." Meredith said momentarily reminiscing on their first surgery together. She quickly pushed the memories away.

"Well, I know you are exhausted and hungry. I promise not to keep you long, but would you have a quick bite with me?"

"I don't know," Meredith hesitated. She had already been the subject of enough gossip at SGH. She did not want rumors starting at this hospital about her and anyone else. "I promised George I would bring him food. He is staying by the patient's bed side to monitor her recovery."

"I tell you what. You take your friend some food and then meet me in my office. We can eat in privacy." Dr. Williamson was not going to give up easily.

"I…..guess…..I shouldn't…..but, well……I…..okay." Meredith finished, unable to think of any reason why she should not and also secretly wanting to spend some time with him.

"Great! I will see you in a few minutes, okay?" Dr. Williamson replied as he grabbed both his and her food and started towards his office.

"Okay." Meredith replied a little breathless after seeing the adoring look she was getting from him. She grabbed George's food and quickly made her way to see how Sarah was doing.

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Derek hurried towards the cafeteria to try to catch Meredith, but when he started towards the line, he saw Rose standing there. She had not noticed him yet and he did not want her to see him. He was not ready to deal with her. Glancing around he did not see Meredith anywhere. Disappointed, he decided to grab something from the vending machine and head to the nearest on call room for a nap. Maybe rest would make things clearer.

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As Meredith approached Sarah's room, she noticed George holding her hand and talking quietly to the little girl, who remained comatose. He was concentrating so much on Sarah that he did not even notice Meredith walk in the room.

"George?" Meredith whispered once and then asked again louder when she got no response from him.

"Oh, hey, Mer." He paused for a moment. "Sarah's going to wake up, right?"

"I really believe she will, George, but only time will tell." Meredith said softly, knowing how much George had come to care for this little girl.

"Thanks for the food." George smiled at his friend. Meredith had been many things to him in the 1.5 years he had known her, but he always knew that no matter what she always supported him as only a true friend knew how.

"Anytime," Meredith replied. "Do you want me to stay with you and Sarah for awhile?" She asked forgetting that she had agreed to eat with Dr. Williamson and intent on being there for her friend.

"That would be great. Maybe she will respond to you more than she has me." George answered hopefully.

They ate their meal in silence monitoring Sarah closely, George happier than ever to have his friend's support.

**Ok - I am going to post some thoughts at the end of each chapter to let you know what is going on in my mind in case I do not convey it well in the story. (This is my first fic ever, so I am learning as you are reading). George/Sarah...I have always pictured him as a pediatric surgeon. I think he would be great with kids! Mer/Der...lots of Mer hurting (I know, how Shonda-like am I right now)? The point of this is to show how much Derek cares that Meredith is under the impression that he slept with Rose. It bothers him...a lot! That is a good thing. My favorite part of this chapter was the whole Mer/Izzie interaction (remind you of the Mer/Izzie bathroom time when Denny died?)...I have always thought they would be could be great friends. I am all for Christina and Mer's friendship, but I think Mer sometimes puts too much into that friendship and shuts out others in her life. That is part of the reason Christina is not on this trip, so Mer can have time with Izzie and later on Lexie.**


	8. Chapter 8

Rose finished getting her food in the cafeteria and started looking around for a familiar face, specifically Derek or Abigail's. She was a little confused that Derek had rushed out of surgery so quickly and figured he would have hung around to take her to dinner. She did not see them, but her eyes did fall on a table where Izzie and Lexie sat, engrossed in conversation. Thinking it may not be a bad idea to get in good with Meredith's circle of friends so that she could learn more about this woman that seemed to have her man in a vice, she headed to their table.

"Hi, girls!" Rose said brightly placing her tray on the table and sitting down with them before they knew what was happening. "It has been a long first day. What have you been doing today?"

Neither Lexie nor Izzie were thrilled that she was sitting with them, but they exchanged glances and quickly decided they could use this time in a positive way for their friend/sister Meredith.

"Hey, Rose," Izzie stated, trying to sound happy to see her. "We had a few surgeries with Sloan today, but nothing too exciting."

"Derek and I had the most exciting surgery today," Rose could not keep her excitement from showing. "He removed a tumor out of a little girl's brain. She is doing well right now. I am sure she will be fine. After all, she had the best surgeon to operate on her. He is just the total package, you know? So hot, so talented, so smart…... Not to mention he is a god in bed!... He is looking to settle down and get married and have kids. My perfect match!"

Lexie rolled her eyes and snorted, while Izzie almost choked on her food. When she regained her composure, Lexie said, "Yeah, we watched part of the surgery from the gallery today. It looked like Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Grey worked very well together in saving the patient's life."

Izzie added, "I have seen them do many surgeries together and they are like a well-oiled machine. They work together better than any other surgeons I have ever seen."

Rose smirked and said, "It is too bad they weren't such a well-oiled machine outside of the OR." She quickly changed the subject when she realized that she might have taken it too far with the last comment. "Have you seen Abigail?"

"I think she had dinner with Sloan then they were headed to an on-call room for a nap." Izzie said, still ready to smack Rose for her comments and attitude.

"I think I will go find Derek. I could use a…….uh, nap….." Rose said slyly as she quickly gathered up her tray and headed out of the cafeteria.

"What a bitch!" Lexie said, glaring at the retreating figure of Rose.

"Seriously!" Izzie replied. "Maybe she and McAss are meant to be. They both have egos the size of this state and they both think they can do no wrong! I wonder how Meredith is…..she was not doing very well this morning……."

"Maybe we should find her and make sure she is okay." Lexie looked at Izzie, hoping she would agree. Lexie wanted nothing more than to develop a relationship with her new-found sister and maybe being there for her during a difficult time would help Meredith see that she really cared.

"Yeah, let's see if we can find her." Izzie agreed. Both stood up and decided the best place to start looking for Meredith was in Sarah's room.

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Dr. Williamson was trying his best to maintain his composure, but he was angry. He threw his glass across the room. Meredith had agreed to meet him for dinner in his office, but that had been over an hour ago and she had yet to show up. What was keeping her? He decided she was probably in Sarah's room and he wanted to go find her, but knew he had to regain control of his emotions first. She was perfect for him and he was not going to give up because of one mistake. He had to win her trust first. She had to fall in love with him. Once she fell, though, he would make sure she paid for standing him up for dinner………she would learn that when she is his, she had to do as she was told. He would make sure she understood the rules before punishing her. After all, that was only fair………

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Rose got lucky. Derek was in the first on call room she checked. He was sleeping soundly and she could tell he was exhausted. She quietly undressed and climbed into bed beside him, snuggling up to him.

"Mmmm, Mer" Derek replied still sleeping as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest.

Rose snuggled up to him and decided that after a small nap herself she would wake him in a manner that would make him say "Meredith who?" He would be yelling her name at the top of his lungs when she got finished with him.

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Izzie and Lexie arrived at Sarah's room and saw George and Meredith deep in conversation. George was holding little Sarah's hand. Meredith actually looked fine at the moment. "Maybe we should leave them to monitor Sarah. We can talk to her later." Lexie said.

"Good idea, Lex," Izzie replied, yawning. "I think I need a nap anyway."

"Yeah, me too." Lexie added with a yawn of her own.

They went to an empty on call room and decided to take a nap, hoping their friend really was okay.

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Dr. Williamson regained control of himself and headed up to the Pediatric ICU where Sarah's room was located. When he got to the room he peeked through the window and noticed Meredith talking quietly to Sarah, who remained comatose. He had a small twinge of guilt for being angry at this obviously caring woman who seemed concerned for this little girl. However, he would come first in their future, above their kids, above work…..Now was not the time to address it, though. He walked into the room and softly said, "Hey, stranger. How is Sarah doing?"

Meredith turned around quickly and put her hand over her mouth as she realized what she had done.

"Oh, Andrew, I am so sorry…….I came up to give George his food and we started talking and he asked me to stay with him and watch Sarah. I just completely forgot." She looked at him with the most sorrow-filled eyes he had ever seen. She was almost crying.

"Hey, do not worry about it. I can take a rain check okay?" Andrew replied, relieved that she at least still seemed interested. "Where is George?" He added, looking around the room.

"He stepped out for a few minutes to get some fresh air. He won't be gone long. I had to force him to leave to go to the bathroom while ago. He is determined to be here when she wakes up." Meredith replied with a smile thinking of how caring her dear friend is.

"If she wakes up," Andrew added quietly.

Meredith looked at him a little disappointed by his obvious attempt to bring her back to the reality that Sarah may not wake up. Then she realized he was just being honest. "Yeah……..if……"

George returned at that moment and looked at Meredith and Andrew with surprise. "Hi, Dr. Williamson. I did not know you are on Sarah's case."

"Oh, no, I'm not Dr. O'Malley, but she is very special to everyone in the hospital. I actually came to check on Meredith, though." Dr. Williamson replied, not taking his eyes off of Meredith. "She stood me up for lunch, but now I see why. Watching this little one makes you lose all track of time."

"Well, I am back and can watch Sarah if you want to join Dr. Williamson for dessert?" George looked at Meredith gauging her reaction.

"Is that okay, George?" She asked and looked over at Andrew. "I mean, if you do not have any other plans….and you still want to……..Dr. Williamson."

George gave his friend a push towards Andrew and chuckled as Meredith looked down at her feet waiting for Andrew to respond. "I think dessert is a great idea." Andrew answered with a smile, grabbing Meredith's hand as he left Sarah's room.

George watched the two walk down the hallway and found himself hoping this would not be heartbreak for Meredith. She deserved so much better and she had already had her share of turmoil over the past year. She was overdue for some happiness and he hoped Andrew could help her with that.

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As they walked down the hall hand-in-hand, Meredith found herself getting a little uneasy as she noticed people staring and whispering when they were spotted. Andrew seemed to notice her hesitation right away and turned to the gossiping nurses. "Certainly you all have something better to do than stir up gossip in this hospital. If you don't have anything else to do with your time, I will be glad to give you some ideas."

As soon as he finished, the nurse's faces went from shocked to terrified and they were falling over each other trying to get back to work and as far away from Dr. Williamson as possible. He watched them briefly then nodded to Meredith and started back towards his office, still hand-in-hand.

When they reached the safety of his office, Meredith could no longer contain her laughter.

"What is so funny?" Andrew asked, pleased to see her laughing.

"I just…..it's that……I've never…….seen……..people move so……..fast……."Meredith replied between laughing and catching her breath. "They looked truly terrified."

"They better be terrified of me!" Andrew said, a little too loudly before adding quieter, "I am their boss after all and they know how I feel about gossip and remaining on task at work."

"I just do not see how people can be scared of you. You seem so…..gentle and kind." Meredith replied shyly. "Thank you for sticking up for me out there, though. Der…..uh, no one…..has ever done that for me before."

"I cannot understand how anyone would not want to fight for you or stand up for you, Meredith. You are the most beautiful, kind, intelligent woman I have ever met, and I hope we will continue to spend time together while you are here. I have a feeling we could be something special. I hope you feel that way, too." Andrew stated, looking hopefully into Meredith's eyes.

"I….would like that…." Meredith stammered, realizing she really did want to get to know him better. "I just got out of a relationship so I need to move slowly, but…….I am definitely attracted to you, Andrew. You seem like a great guy." She finished suddenly embarrassed by how open she had been with this man she barely knew.

"Well, we will take it slowly and see what happens, okay?" Andrew answered, satisfied with her response at the moment. "Now, let's have some dessert and maybe talk for awhile."

"Okay, I would like that." Meredith answered with a genuine smile on her face.

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Derek was having the best dream. Meredith was doing his most favorite thing and it was heaven. No one knew how to send him into ecstasy the way she did. Her tongue and mouth were magical and knew just how to tease his throbbing member. "Mmmm, Mer….that feels soooooo good." He murmured when he started realizing this was not a dream, but that she was waking him up with his favorite thing.

She was not making a sound, just sucking, licking, and kissing his member in such a manner that he knew he would not last long. She was being a little rougher than usual. "Damn Meri……that hurt" he groaned as she bit down. She had never done that before. "What the hell?!" he yelled as he fully woke up and realized he was being serviced by Rose, not Meredith. He sat up startled and confused.

His startled response cause Rose to sit up long enough to say, "Hey, baby. You look like you had a good nap. Now lay back and let me finish what I started." She licked her lips and pushed him back down on the bed.

Before she could return her attention to his now flaccid member, Derek sat back up and swung his legs around. "What do you think you are doing?!" He yelled at Rose while he jumped out of bed and quickly pulled his pants up.

"I was trying to make you happy, Derek." Rose began, tears starting down her face. "I just thought you might want to be awakened to some fun. Please don't be mad at me." She started sobbing at that point and could not continue.

"Rose, I really want to try with you, but you just keep pushing and pushing. You are not even giving us time to get to know each other. What do you want from me?! You know I just got out of a relationship and I want to move on but it takes time……and the way you acted in surgery today….." Derek was really angry now. "What the hell were you thinking?! A child is on the OR table undergoing risky surgery and all you can do is try to flirt with me and distract me while I am doing my job?! Are you trying to push me away, because you are doing a great job if that is your intention?!"

"NO, Derek! I am so sorry! I just really like you and want this to work. I want you to know that I am ready for all of the things that I know you want! I am trying to help you get over her, don't you see? I want you to love me the way that I love you. I would do anything for you!" She had stopped crying at that point and was still on the bed staring at Derek, pleading with him, begging him to understand.

"I…..this is too much….too fast…….I need time, Rose. Stop rushing this, please! I do want to get to know you, but my focus this month is on work. We can have dinner or lunch some during the week, but that is it until we get back to Seattle. Do you understand that? I am here on a job and I have a huge responsibility to oversee this group and I cannot be distracted by something that I am not even sure I want yet." Derek finished, then added. "Please do not take this personally. I really do like you, but…..I just need time alone. I am sorry I gave you the impression I was ready to jump right back into a relationship. I thought I was, but I am not. Just give me some time, okay?" Derek grabbed Rose's chin and pulled it up to make sure she understood.

"Okay, I can give you time." Rose said simply, not really wanting to, but knowing she did not have much choice in the matter.

"Thanks." Derek replied. He brushed his lips against hers and walked out of the room.

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George remained vigilant in his watch over Sarah. He was exhausted and knew he needed some rest, so he pulled a chair up to her bed, grabbed her hand, and laid his head on the bed next to her. He decided a quick nap would not be a bad idea.

Just as he nodded off to sleep, he felt a tiny hand grasp his………..

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Derek retreated quickly from the on call room and decided to check in with Dr. Long and to see if he needed anything. He knew George would contact him immediately with any change in Sarah's status. As he walked towards Dr. Long's office, he heard a familiar laugh that seemed to be coming from inside Dr. Williamson's office. He paused at the door, thinking he surely had been hearing things. Pausing only confirmed his fears as he heard that beautiful laugh again, this time accompanied by Andrew's laughter. Derek saw red and without even thinking he barged in to see what was so funny.

Andrew and Meredith were seated on his couch and both immediately looked up and stopped laughing as soon as they saw the look on Derek's face. "Can I help you with something, Dr. Shepherd?" Andrew asked quickly, trying to figure out why this man had barged into his office like he was ready to attack.

"Uh,…….I…….was looking for Dr. Long…..and, I guess I have the wrong office." Derek replied weakly, knowing he looked like an idiot, but unable to take his eyes off of Meredith.

"Yeah, well, his office is the one that is labeled Dr. Long, mine is labeled Dr. Williamson" Andrew said, not in a friendly manner when he saw the intensity in Derek's eyes as he stared at Meredith, begging her to look at him.

"Dr. Grey, why are you not monitoring Sarah?" Derek asked gruffly. He was mad. He knew George was with Sarah but could not help himself. What the hell was she doing hanging out in this man's office laughing and eating cheesecake?

"Dr. Shepherd, if you remember correctly, Dr. O'Malley is monitoring Sarah," Meredith replied with the same bitter tone, finally looking back at him with the same anger and obviously not backing down.

"Well, Dr. Grey, if you remember correctly, we are here to do a job, not to have dessert with the people we are supposed to be helping!" He was getting angrier and was losing control quickly.

"Whoa, Dr. Shepherd, calm down. I was the one who approached her, so please do not blame her for this. I simply wanted to chat with this obviously intelligent resident and get to know a little about her. She will be helping us for the next month and I want to get to know her." Andrew answered.

"Yeah, I bet you do….." Derek retorted before storming out of the room.

"Well, I seem to have made a friend, don't you think?" Andrew said sarcastically to Meredith after Derek left.

"Sorry about that……..He is……uh……temperamental" Meredith said looking at the floor embarrassed, but still angry at Derek. He had no rights over her anymore and he needed to mind his own business. After all, he was with Rose. That was abundantly clear from what she saw at the hotel and in surgery. So, why could she not pursue other relationships? ASS! She thought to herself. He had no right to act like that!

"It looked like jealousy to me," Andrew studied Meredith intently trying to gauge her reaction.

"He and I……..it's complicated……..but it is over…..he has moved on….and…..I am trying to move on also." Meredith stumbled on her words, not wanting to talk about Derek as it was still painful.

"Judging from his reaction, I would say you have moved on more so than he has. Not that I blame him, because I would be upset with myself if I let someone as wonderful as you get away." Andrew replied.

Meredith felt herself blush at his comments. "Not everyone is as kind as you are," she replied quietly, just as her pager went off. "It's Sarah…..I have to go!" She said apologetically to Andrew.

"No problem, I will see you later, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Meredith took one last look at him and gave him a smile as she ran out the door.

**This chapter is nauseating and hopeful at the same time. It is apparent how fake Rose is (at least in this fic) and that she is well aware that Derek is no where near over Meredith (he's calling her name in his dreams), but she is still determined to have him. Izzie and Lexie see right through her, but of course they are mad at Derek because Mer is hurting. Derek's jealousy over Andrew and Meredith having cheesecake in his office was my favorite part of this chapter. Jealous Derek Sexy Derek! I love to see him get worked up ;) Andrew is odd and his character development will continue. I cannot say more than that right now. The fact that he defended her in front of the nosy nurses really did make her swoon, though. She needs someone to just make her feel like she is worth something to someone at this moment. I mean, really...the girl has had more happen to her in the past 1.5 years than many people have happen in their lifetime! **


	9. Chapter 9

**First of all, thanks so much for the comments and for seeing Mer/Der through a little drama. You are closer to what you want:) **

George looked up immediately after he felt a squeeze and saw Sarah's eyes on him.

"Hi, Curious George" Sarah said sleepily.

"Hi, Sarah" George replied, his eyes filling with tears. Sarah was awake and knew who he was.

"You stayed with me……just like you said you would" Sarah said, slowly becoming more alert.

"Hey, a promise is a promise." George smiled at her. He knew he needed to let Dr. Shepherd know, but did not want to leave Sarah's side yet.

"Is the tomato gone from my cauliflower?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, Dr. Shepherd took all of the tomato off of your cauliflower." George replied, falling more and more for this beautiful girl each moment. He knew after today he definitely wanted kids one day.

"Good, so now I can have my Hannah Montana party!" Sarah replied excitedly.

"I am sure your parents will let you have your party!" George replied enthusiastically.

"Hey, George? Can I see my parents?" Sarah asked hopefully.

"Yes, I will go get them, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks, Curious George." Sarah giggled.

"You are welcome. I will be back in a minute with your mom and dad."

George left the room and had the nurse page Meredith and Dr. Shepherd while he went to the waiting room to get Sarah's anxiously awaiting parents.

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Meredith ran to catch the elevator as it was closing. She regretted catching it when she realized the only other passenger was Derek. She turned around quickly and tried her best to ignore him.

"Nice to see you working, Dr. Grey." Derek replied shortly as he glared at her back.

Meredith could feel him staring her down, but was not about to give him the satisfaction of turning around. "Yeah, well, at least I spend my spare time engaged in conversation and I know where my assigned room is at the hotel." She spouted off at him as the elevator came to a stop and the door opened. Before he could reply she was out of the elevator headed towards Sarah's room.

"Damn it" Derek muttered. He was angry with her but he had forgotten what she had witnessed this morning. No wonder she was trying things out with this Dr. Williamson, he thought as he walked slowly out of the elevator. For all she knew he was really moving on without any problems. Why did he always end up hurting her? He thought to himself. She just made him so mad sometimes! She was the most frustrating person he had ever met. He realized he had no right to call her down for spending time with anyone. He had given up his say in anything she did. He was wary of Dr. Williamson, though. Something was off and it was not just jealousy talking, though he admitted that definitely played a role in his earlier childish behavior. Still, he wanted to make it right and at least let her know the truth about this morning and apologize for his less than professional behavior this evening. He figured he owed her that much. That would obviously have to wait until later.

As he approached Sarah's room, he quickly changed his thoughts back to his patient. He tried to catch Meredith's eye when he walked in, but she was intently watching Sarah. Sarah's parents were by her side, crying with joy and fear. They wondered what information Dr. Shepherd would give them. Derek went to the bedside of Sarah and looked up questioningly at George.

"Hello Princess!" He started. "How are you feeling?"

"Great, Dr. Shepherd, just sleepy and hungry!" Sarah answered.

"How long has she been awake, Dr. O'Malley?"

"For about 15 minutes, sir. I was afraid to leave her until I knew she was alert."

"Very good. Sarah, can you tell me where you are and what happened?"

"Dr. Shepherd you ask silly questions! You should know where I am! At the hospital and my head is all bandaged up because you had to cut out the tomato."

Derek laughed at the little girl who had so much personality. "You are very smart. Now, I just need to look into your eyes and have you squeeze my hands, okay?"

"Okay." Sarah did as she was told.

"Good girl." Derek looked at her parents. "It looks like the surgery was a success. I want to keep her here for a few days to keep a close watch on her, but she should be going home by the end of the week."

Her mother grabbed Derek in a hug that took him by surprise as she cried tears of joy. "We can't thank you enough for saving our little girl's life. She is everything to us and you gave her back a chance to grow up and get married and have children of her own. We are forever indebted to you, Dr. Shepherd." Her father said with tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

"Well, you have a very strong little girl and she did much of the work herself. I had the assistance of Dr. Grey and Dr. O'Malley, two excellent surgeons in their own right. It was definitely a team effort." Derek replied, feeling tears come to his eyes as he hugged this woman that held on to him so tightly he was having difficulty breathing. Looking around the room he saw that George and Meredith were crying as well.

"Mommy, Daddy, Curious George….you are supposed to be happy that I am awake and the surgery worked, not sad!" Sarah looked at them suddenly upset that everyone was crying.

"We are crying happy tears." George replied to the youngster.

"Happy tears? What is that?" She asked with a confused look on her face.

"It is when you are so happy that tears come out of your eyes."

"Like when I am so happy that I jump up and down and squeal?"

"Yeah, just like that, except we can't jump up and down in the hospital, so we can only get our happiness out by crying." Meredith explained.

"Hmm" Sarah seemed to be thinking this over. "Well, I like my way better." With that comment everyone started laughing through their tears.

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The next two weeks flew by with the gang working almost nonstop, usually crashing in on call rooms for sleep and rarely making it back to the hotel to sleep or even freshen up. The team was exhausted but was enjoying every minute of their work. They rarely saw each other except during surgeries and consults.

Mark and Abigail had stopped seeing each other when she caught him in an on call room with a local nurse. He actually ended up with about 5 of the hospital nurses before they caught onto his game and stopped falling for his lines. He was spending nights alone by the end of the second week.

Andrew and Meredith had eaten every meal together and had gotten to the point where they would nap in on call rooms wrapped in each other's arms, though they remained fully clothed. He had not tried anything past a simple kiss and handholding and this made her feel all the more extraordinary. Every man she had ever known had bedded her by this point. Meredith truly enjoyed his company and he was doing his best to woo her. She received a gift every day, whether it was candy, flowers, or jewelry. She had never been the romantic type, but Andrew made her feel special with all of the attention he was giving her. She felt wanted and cared about, and she admitted to herself she had not felt that way in a long time.

George had spent every spare moment with Sarah and had decided he was going to be a pediatric general surgeon. He had found his passion in medicine and was never happier. Dr. Long saw the enjoyment this young intern had for children and made sure to include him on every pediatric surgical case he could. The pediatric nurses commented on how the children loved Dr. George and how he got them to talk about anything. One had even admitted to sexual abuse when George had sat down and talked to her. Since then she had been placed in custody of her grandparents and her father had been brought up on charges. George was in his element.

Sarah went home at the end of the first week. She came by every day to see Curious George and told the whole staff they were invited to her Hannah Montana party, much to her parent's dismay.

Lexie and Meredith had been spending more time together as she switched to Dr. Sloan's service after Sarah's surgery. She wanted to work and not be wrapped up in more drama and she knew the less she saw Derek and Rose, the better off she was and the more she could enjoy what was developing between her and Andrew. Lexie fully supported her sister after she had told her about running into Derek in the hall of the hotel and finding out he had been sleeping with Rose. Lexie liked the way Andrew treated Meredith and was glad to see her sister looking happier Lexie remembered since she had known her.

Izzie ended up on Derek's service and had to witness the bonding of Derek and Rose. She noticed that while Rose was definitely interested, Derek seemed to force himself to be interested. He was definitely trying to develop a relationship with her; he just wasn't there with his whole heart. It looked to Izzie like he was leading Rose on, but she did not feel sorry for the witch in the least. She had helped break Meredith and she deserved to be heartbroken. Izzie personally could not wait to see it happen, but in the meantime she had to watch their flirting which was disgusting.

Derek and Meredith rarely ran into each other and when they did he was either with Rose or she was with Andrew. They did not even acknowledge each other's presence, but it was obvious that the hurt remained on both sides by the look in their eyes when they saw each other. Neither would allow themselves to dwell on it, though, as they had built up walls around their hearts to keep each other out.

Dr. Long saw the exhaustion the group had due to the endless working over the past two weeks and decided the group needed a break. A weekend retreat to his mountain cabin would probably give them a much needed reprieve. He spoke to Derek about it who agreed that they all needed a break, and then gathered the group together to let them know they had a weekend off to relax. Dr. Long had asked Derek if he could utilize Abigail and Rose this weekend because he had a few nurses out sick. They had been working 40 hour weeks, so sleep and rest were not a problem for either of them. Derek knew he would not ask unless it was urgent, so he agreed. Rose and Abigail could not hide their disappointment, but they knew there was nothing they could do about it. The rest of the gang looked relieved as they headed back to the hotel to grab clothes and head away for a few days of sleep!

**So, this post was essentially to move the story along a little, a filler if you will. I did not want to drag out the bonding of couples we do not really want to hear about anyway...Now they get a weekend away (without Rose)! **


	10. Chapter 10

**The beginning of a little Mark/Izzie...and even better...NO ROSE in this update (or in any updates to follow any time soon) :)**

They were packed and on the road in less than an hour. They were crammed into an SUV because the van would not be able to drive them up the mountain through the snow. Derek was driving and Mark was reading the directions. Meredith, Izzie, Lexie, and George were in the back discussing how great it was to have a few days off and wondering what kind of cabin Dr. Long had. Meredith was a little disappointed that Dr. Long would not let Andrew go on the trip, but she knew he needed a surgeon around for emergencies, so he did not really have a choice. She knew she would enjoy the time with her friends who she had not seen much of throughout the past weeks since they had been so busy, so that made her happy. She tried to ignore the fact that Derek was there and was thrilled that Rose could not go.

Derek focused on the road and getting everyone there safely. He could not help but notice how relaxed Meredith was and how she seemed to be enjoying her time with her friends. He hoped to finally get a chance to make peace with her this weekend so they could both move on from the tension that was in the air anytime they were together. It was great to see her smiling and laughing. God he loved her laugh. It was the most beautiful sound in the world. He used to make her laugh like that……

"Earth to Derek!" Mark was shouting.

"Wha…what?" Derek replied coming back to reality.

"Did you not hear me tell you to turn right at the road we just passed?"

"I…..are you sure you told me to turn? I…..well, my mind was somewhere else." Derek finished lamely.

"Well get your mind back to the present my friend. We are in an unfamiliar territory that is treacherous and it is getting dark fast."

"Sorry" Derek mumbled as he found a spot to turn around. The road was deserted except for them and he could not remember the last time he had seen a car.

Meanwhile in the backseats, the group was talking about what kinds of animals they may see.

George: What if we see a bear?

Izzie: What if we do? I think it would be cool.

George: Izzie, bears are not cool! They are scary. They have big teeth and claws. They eat people!

Meredith: Polar bears are beautiful, at least on TV.

Lexie: Yeah, but I would not want to come upon one in real life. I prefer to keep my limbs intact, thank you very much!

Izzie: I am sure we will see elk. What about wolves?

She asked this knowing it would frighten George further. George and Lexie both look terrified at the prospect of running into wolves.

George: Wolves! Izzie, we are not here to find dangerous animals! We are here to relax! Rest! De-stress! Get it?!

Izzie: Calm down, George.

Meredith: Yeah, it will be okay. You can stay inside the cabin if you are that worried.

Lexie: Why would anyone want to roam outside?

Meredith: It may be nice to take a hike. We will just have to wait and see what the terrain is like and how deep the snow is.

They continued the drive in silence as fatigue overcame them and they each fell asleep. Mark and Derek focused on getting them safely to the cabin. After a 3 hour journey with just one wrong turn, they arrived at their destination. The cabin was located in the middle of nowhere and though it was dark, the outside lights were on and it was enough to give off the impression that this was a spectacular cabin.

"Wake up sleepyheads" Mark called to the group in the back as they pulled in the driveway. As they slowly opened their eyes, they were taken aback by what they saw. The cabin was located in the middle of nowhere and though it was dark, the outside lights were on and it was enough to give off the impression that this was a spectacular home away from home.

"Wow!" Lexie exclaimed. "We are in a winter paradise!"

The others bounded out of the vehicle quickly to get a better look. As soon as Derek got the door to the cabin open, there was a mad rush to find the best bedroom and claim it as their own. Derek and Mark laughed at the site of the others running around fighting over who was sleeping where. "As long as I don't end up rooming with a man, I am good." Mark smirked.

"Dr. Long said that there are 10 bedrooms in the house. I think we can all have our own room if we want." Derek replied, laughing at the disappointed look on his friend's face.

Everyone found their rooms and got settled in and then decided it was time for food. As everyone gathered in the kitchen and started looking through cabinets to see what the options are. Mark found filet mignon in the refrigerator while baked potatoes were found in the pantry. Derek and Mark went to work on the grill while Izzie took on the responsibility of the baked potatoes and salad. Lexie and Meredith set the table and George got out glasses for drinks. They had found the liquor cabinet as well and Meredith worked on drinks for the group: Single-malt scotch for Derek, Vodka tonic for Lexie, Gin tonic for Mark, tequila straight up for herself, and beer for Izzie and George.

The group had dinner and was relaxed and lighthearted for the first time in weeks. Everyone was getting along (or at least tolerating each other) and they were discussing what to do next.

"Didn't Dr. Long say that there are trails throughout the woods and that he has several snowmobiles?" asked Mark feeling brave and wanting to explore their new surroundings.

"Don't you think we should do that in the morning when there is daylight to help us?" Derek retorted, rolling his eyes at his friend.

"Where is your sense of adventure?!" Izzie replied to Derek. "I am in. Let's do it!"

"We do not have to go far, man, and we will take it slow." Mark encouraged his friend.

"Count me out!" George replied, remembering the conversation about bears and wolves from earlier.

"Yeah, I am out too." Lexie agreed with George.

That left everyone looking at Meredith who really wanted to go, but was not too thrilled with the idea of spending time with Derek. "Well, if Izzie is going, I may as well also."

"Okay, that settles it." Mark responded with glee. "Bundle up girls; it will be a chilly ride."

Meredith and Izzie headed upstairs to dress in layers as did Derek and Mark. George and Lexie got stuck doing dishes, but neither protested. They preferred to stay where it was safe and warm!

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After bundling up, Derek and Mark headed to the garage to get the snowmobiles out and do a practice run to make sure they knew how to drive them. As Izzie and Meredith came downstairs Meredith was trying her best to convince Izzie to ride with Derek so she did not have to. Izzie had been having fun flirting with Mark all through dinner and was a little disappointed as she wanted to ride with Mark, but she understood her friend's needs and agreed to ride with Derek.

They arrived in the garage just when the guys returned from their trial run. Derek and Mark felt like they could conquer the world and their egos got just a little bigger sitting on the snowmobiles.

"Come on ladies, get on a helmet and hop on." Mark said giving them both a wink.

Meredith quickly grabbed a helmet and jumped on the back of Mark's snowmobile while Izzie jumped on Derek's. Mark was disappointed that Izzie was not with him, but he understood why. Derek was actually relieved he did not have to sit so close to Meredith because he knew what she did to him. His body craved hers. They fit together in perfect harmony. He had to remind himself that this was best, though he was slightly disappointed.

Once everyone was settled, they started up the snowmobiles and took off down the trail they had discovered, with Mark leading the way. They did not go too fast as they wanted to make sure they could find their way back, but they drove for over an hour, until they arrived at a small clearing that gave way to a cliff. The moon and stars were out and the view was breathtaking. The snow glistened in the light and looked like a blanket covering the ground. The four decided this was a great place to stop and sit for awhile as they were sore from all of the bumps they had endured on a rough ride.

They all sat down in the snow and chatted about their trip thus far and the beauty of this often-forgotten state. All four found it easy to talk as a group and soon were laughing like they had been friends for years.

Izzie and Mark seemed to especially hit it off and it was obvious they were interested in each other. After talking as a group for awhile, Mark stood up and grabbed Izzie's hand. She accepted and they walked over to the other side of the clearing to talk in private. Neither was thinking about the fact that they were leaving Derek and Meredith in an awkward predicament. They sat in silence both looking out over the view wishing they could disappear from this moment. Neither remembered ever feeling this distant from the other and no one appeared willing to make the first move to get a conversation going. They felt like strangers caught in a tangled mess that seemed interminable.

When Mark started making out with Izzie, Derek had enough and jumped up stating, "Hey! It's time to go back!" Mark and Izzie drew back long enough to say, "Okay" and everyone put their helmets back on their heads. This time Izzie jumped on the back of Mark's snowmobile leaving Meredith with no choice but to ride back with Derek. At that point, she did not really care; she just wanted to get back to the cabin as quickly as possible.

Mark took off before Derek got his snowmobile started. He was ready to get back to the cabin and pick up where he left off with Izzie. He was quickly out of site, making Derek a little nervous since he had followed on the way to the clearing. He decided to take his time and watch closely. However, two hours later when they still were not back to the cabin, he started to get concerned. He was low on gas and afraid he had made a wrong turn. Meredith riding behind him was not helping him focus on where he was going. Her body had not been this close to his in a long time and it was turning him on like always. She had the effect on him. She drove him insane with want and need. No woman had ever done to him what she did. He was trying to get his mind off of how he would love nothing more than to stop this machine, grab Meredith, push her against a tree, and have his way with her. He was so distracted that he did not notice the tree until it was too late.

The snowmobile hit the tree head on, sending Meredith flying over Derek's head……….

**OK - a little cliff here simply because it seemed like the best place to end the chapter. But at least Mer/Der are alone...together :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks to all the readers and commentors! As you know, I have no ownership or affiliation with the real GA.**

Derek shook his head trying to remember where he was. Then he remembered hitting a tree. The force from the impact must have knocked him out, though he was unsure of how long. He figured he had not been out long since he could feel heat from the motor. He noticed the snowmobile was destroyed. His thoughts quickly shifted to Meredith. Where was she? He quickly stood up and started frantically looking for her. He did not see her right away and so he started yelling her name at the top of his lungs.

He stopped when he noticed a movement to his left. "Mer?" He asked as he headed the direction of the movement.

"Derek, I……OUCH……think I broke my…..dam nit!" Meredith yelled as pain shot through her left leg.

"What did you break?" Derek asked as he quickly knelt beside her, but he noticed instantly that she was clutching her leg. He felt her leg and realized that it was, in fact, broken. "Hold still a minute. I want to make sure nothing else is broken."

"Derek, my leg is killing me. Nothing else hurts." She looked around for the first time since the accident and started to panic. "What are we going to do? We are trapped in the middle of nowhere and it is freezing!" She was starting to get hysterical, and her breathing was becoming labored. Derek did the only thing he knew to do. He gathered her in his arms and whispered soothing words in her ear until she started breathing normally. It did not take long for her to calm down. She marveled that he always had that effect on her.

B y the time she calmed down, he had decided they could do one of two things: stay where they were and hope someone (and not something) found them or try to find their way back to the cabin. He decided asking her would only create an argument and this was not the time or place for one of their fights. Before she even knew what he was doing, he lifted her up and started carrying her through the woods.

"Derek, what the hell are you doing?" Meredith said still grimacing in pain.

"I am taking us back to the cabin." He stated with more confidence than he really had.

"And just what makes you think you can carry me that far?"

"It is pretty simple, actually. You are light and I really do not have a choice."

Meredith stopped fussing at that point and put her arms around his neck. She was hurting too badly to argue. Her face fell into the crook of his neck and he felt her relaxing. He knew the pain in her leg was almost unbearable and focused on quickly getting her somewhere safe. As he continued on, he realized that he had no idea where he was or what direction he was heading. If he did not have to be calm for Meredith, he knew he would be panicking at this point. Instead he became determined to do whatever was necessary to get Meredith the care she needed. He clutched her tighter and kept going.

After what seemed like forever to Derek, he started to tire to the point where he did not know how much longer he could walk. Meredith was patiently holding on to him but he could tell the further they went the more fearful she became. He was beginning to wonder if he had made the wrong choice by leaving the site of the snowmobile crash when he noticed a clearing. The moon was bright enough to reveal a tiny building. At first glance he could not tell if it was a shed or a cabin. As he got closer he could make out a porch and a door along with a few windows, so he knew it was a cabin. He did not see any signs of anyone being home, but he was determined to get inside regardless. They need shelter and warmth. His toes and fingers and nose were numb and he knew he was quickly heading towards frostbite. If he was, he was also sure Meredith was.

As he approached the cabin, he whispered into Meredith's ear to see if she was awake. "I think we at least have a place to stay until daylight." Meredith looked up quickly and was relieved to see shelter.

"Do you think anyone is in there?" Meredith asked.

"It does not look like it." He replied as he stepped up on the porch and knocked on the door. No one answered, just as he expected. He tried the door, but it was locked. He was not about to give up that easily. Sitting Meredith down on a bench he found on the porch he slowly walked over to a window. He never believed in breaking into anyone's home, but this was life and death and he knew it. He took his gloved hand and broke through the glass. Once he found the latch he opened the window and climbed in, all the while listening to make sure no one was there. The only thing worse would be someone home sitting in a chair with a shotgun ready to shoot him as soon as he entered. He pushed the thought from his mind and started feeling his way around the room he had entered. After bumping into a table and counter he realized he was in a small kitchen. Slowly he made his way to the next room, which he assumed was a living area as he finally found the door. He decided he needed a little light before trying to carry Meredith through an unfamiliar place. He pulled out a lighter he had in his pocket and looked around. He saw a lantern sitting on a table next to an old, worn sofa. He sent up a silent prayer that the lantern had kerosene. He was in luck and soon the room was dimly lit from the lantern.

He hurried out to bring Meredith into the cabin. She looked up at him and said, "It is about time. I thought you decided to let me stay out here tonight." Looking at her and her obvious discomfort broke his heart. He had to find a way to relieve her pain and set her leg. He picked her up and brought her in to the cabin. After gently sitting her down on he decided he needed to start a fire in the fireplace he had noticed across from the couch. Warmth was definitely going to be needed as it was getting colder by the minute outside. He found wood outside on the porch and quickly gathered what he needed. After getting the fire going, he focused on finding a First Aid kit or any type of medical supplies he could use to help Meredith. He found kit in the bathroom and then with a little luck, found a short, thin wooden board he decided he could use for a splint.

He brought all of the necessary supplies into the living area and started by giving Meredith Ibuprofen he found in the bathroom with a drink of water from the sink. He was amazed, but thrilled that the place had running water.

Meredith sighed in relief, knowing her pain would ease up some once the medicine took effect. Meanwhile Derek went to work on cleaning up her leg and splinting it. It hurt terribly, but Meredith knew it needed to be done. When he completed his task he looked up and saw tears streaming down her face. She had not spoken a word, but her facial expression told a novel.

"I'm so sorry Mer" Derek broke into tears knowing this was his fault. "I hate to see you hurting." He jumped up on the sofa and drew her into his arms. She threw her arms around him and rested her body against his as she sobbed, not just because of the physical pain, but because she realized how much she had missed being in his arms. It was like coming home. After awhile, the throbbing pain eased to a dull ache and her tears subsided. They both drifted off to sleep, unaware that their friends were frantically searching for them.

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The group was worried. It had been 3 hours since Mark and Izzie had initially returned from their adventure. Mark did not worry too much at first because he had driven quickly through the forest trying to get back to the cabin as quickly as possible. He did not want Izzie changing her mind. He was ready for her and she was ready for him. He found it odd that he had never really looked at her until today. She was beautiful, inside and out, and part of him felt guilty for even thinking about sleeping with her. He was not used to guilt. Other than sleeping with Addison and breaking Derek he did not ever remember feeling guilt for anything. He was all about pleasing himself, living in the moment. He found himself attracted to more than just her body. She seemed different, genuine, caring. This was not normally the type of woman Mark Sloan found attractive.

His plans were put on hold when they returned to the cabin as George and Lexie were in the process of starting a game of poker and Izzie wanted to join. Mark decided beating these kids in poker would be a great precursor to sex. He would even let Izzie win a few hands to keep her in the mood.

After the 5th hand, Mark was worried. He knew his friend should have been back to the cabin by now, even driving slowly and taking his time. He could tell Meredith's friends were anxious as well as they kept glancing towards the door, expecting Derek and Meredith to come walking in at any moment.

Mark tried to focus on the next two hands, but he knew in his gut something was wrong. He felt it. When George finally broke the silence and asked why Derek and Meredith were not back, he decided it was time to take action. Izzie and Lexie stayed at the cabin in case they returned. Mark and George bundled up and took a snowmobile to find them.

"Do you think they are lost?" Lexie questioned when the boys left. Secretly she was hoping this was it, because it was the best scenario she could think of at present. The other thoughts of wild animals and drowning in freezing ponds made her shudder.

"I do not see how, but I guess they could be. Maybe they stopped and decided to talk for awhile." Izzie said hopefully. She knew they both still loved each other and were soul mates; they just had a hard time communicating.

"Yeah, they could definitely use a good conversation," Lexie added thoughtfully, though deep down she knew this was not the case. The girls worry intensified as they saw snowflakes beginning to fall.

Meanwhile, Mark and George had taken the same trail to the lookout they had stopped at earlier and found no evidence of Derek or Meredith or the snowmobile.

"They definitely got lost," Mark said aloud. He usually found his friend's lack of direction and ability to get lost amusing, especially in shopping malls, but it was not funny at the moment. "We will start back slowly and see if we can find out where Derek got off the trail. Watch for snowmobile tracks that veer off from the direction we go, okay?"

"You got it." George said willing to do whatever it took to help find his friend.

Mother Nature had another plan, however and not long after they started back, a snowstorm hit. The wind was harsh and the snow was actually falling horizontally because of the Arctic blast. Mark and George could hardly see in front of them even with the light from the snowmobile. Mark could not stand the thought of leaving his friend out in the middle of a blizzard, but he knew his life and George's were at risk now. He would be lucky to find his way back to the cabin in this storm. He did the only thing he knew to do and headed back the way he came, hoping the snow was not falling fast enough to cover his tracks.

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Derek woke up momentarily forgetting where he was. He took a few minutes to orient himself and realized Meredith was still in his arms and snoring, meaning she was sleeping well. His left arm had lost its feeling from lack of circulation due to being positioned under Meredith. As he looked around he noticed the fire was down to embers and needing attention or it would burn out soon. He slowly maneuvered off the couch moving Meredith to where he previously laid, doing his best not to disturb her. After a little repositioning, she continued with her sleep. He was thankful that she was resting and the pain was not keeping her awake.

He added wood to the fire and after noticing the snowstorm that was going on outside the cabin, he decided to run out and stock up on firewood. As soon as he walked outside he realized this was not just a snowstorm, but a blizzard. The wind was blowing so hard he could barely keep from falling down. He hurriedly gathered all of the remaining firewood on the porch and brought it in for future use. He had a feeling they might be there awhile. Next he thought to check out the kitchen to see if there was any semblance of food that they would be able to eat. He found some canned soups and tea bags. It was not much, but it was better than nothing. The soup and tea could be heated by the fire. He turned the faucet on to a drip to make sure the pipes did not freeze. Next he went to the closet in the bathroom and found sleeping bags, blankets and pillows. Bringing them into the living area, he decided to make a bed on the floor for him and Meredith by the fire. It was very cold throughout the cabin except right where the fire was and he knew they needed to stay warm. Meredith was still sleeping when he finished with the bedding, so he decided to make some hot tea. He brought the tea bags, water, pot, and mugs from the kitchen and started heating the water.

As he waited for the water to boil, he thought about what it would be like being stranded with Meredith like this last year. They would have kept each other warm and would not have even needed a fire, he thought smugly to himself. How had they gotten so far from where they wanted to be? He wanted everything with this woman. Everything. He had known it from the first time she spoke. The way she found out about Addison had been a nightmare no doubt, but he had thought Meredith had forgiven him. Admittedly she had more tragedy and turmoil in the past year than most people have in a lifetime. Looking back on it now, he realized he was partly to blame for that turmoil. He had just recognized that, but the more he thought about it, the more he discovered he had contributed to her trust issues. He had been unreliable and had come and gone in her life as he pleased. Much like he accused her of the day of Christina and Burke's ill-fated non-wedding. Instead of giving her time to learn to trust him, he had tried to push her into something she was not ready for. He did not understand how frustrating that was until Rose did the same thing to him. He barely knew Rose and she was practically proposing. Hell, he probably would not even have to buy her a ring. She could wear the ring of her ex-fiancé that she kept around her neck. He laughed out loud at the thought. Meredith was not innocent in the demise of their relationship and she had wounded him deeply, especially when she gave up and almost died, but she was not solely to blame. He recognized that now, but what good did it do him? They were over.

Meredith slowly began to awaken and realized that she was cold. She opened her eyes and saw Derek by the fire. Her eyes fixated on him and she was in awe at the way his handsome features were accentuated by the fire and shadow combination. She sighed as she watched him, realizing that even when things were at their worst between them, the site of him still had the ability to soothe her. In some strange way she trusted him in every way more so than she had ever trusted anyone. Or she had. Until Addison showed up. She even got over that and prepared to let him in again only to be shot down when he chose Addison over her. When she looked back on it now, she could not believe she took him back as many times as she did. Only she knew why she did. Because she loved him….loves him……he was her world. Now…..she knew he would do anything for her; save her life, teach her how to be the best surgeon, give her mind blowing orgasms, and hold her when she was scared. The problem was that when they were together she lived in constant fear as to when he would leave her again. It was never 'if,' it was 'when.' Rose had been the nail in the coffin. Whatever she did, she would never be good enough and he would always be looking for someone better. She sighed aloud.

Derek heard her sigh and turned around to see her staring back at him with a look he could not quite place. It seemed like a mixture of fear, sadness, love, acceptance, and resolve. As soon as he met her eyes, she reverted out of her thoughts and sat up.

**Lots of Mer/Der thoughts here...but they need to communicate!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Meredith and Derek talking? Now you know I do not own the show:)**

As soon as he met her eyes, she reverted out of her thoughts and sat up.

"Hey."

"Hey. It looks like you had a good nap. How are you feeling?"

"My leg is not hurting much, but I am cold!" Meredith said as she started shivering. She saw the blankets on the floor next to the fire and instantly decided she needed to be down there.

"Whoa, Mer, let me help you." Derek said as she started to get up. He lifted her off the couch and brought her over to the blankets. "Do you want some tea?"

"Yeah, thanks." Derek handed her a cup of steaming tea and they sat side-by-side looking at the fire. Both felt comfortable and despite all of the hurt and turmoil of their past, they had a connection that would not go away. No matter how much either tried to deny it existed.

Neither of them knew what to say. Conversation had never been one of their priorities (at least not the talking kind). There was so much each of them wanted to say, but no one knew where to start. Meredith finally got tired of the silence and asked, "So….how are you and Rose?" She bit her lip, nervous to hear the answer, but wanting to know.

"Uh….fine…..we're…..okay." Derek started lamely before adding, "We have only been on one date, so we aren't really a 'we,' you know?"

"You have only been out with her once on a date, but you sure seemed to enjoy her company in the OR and in the bedroom." Meredith said, not realizing how jealous she sounded until after she said it. She blushed slightly but it went unnoticed as her cheeks were already red from anger.

Derek remembered the razor incident in the hotel. "Oh, Mer, I have not slept with Rose. I spent the night in her room because Abigail and Mark were in my room. I did not even sleep in the same bed with her." He stopped at that point, realizing he really did not owe her an explanation, but for some reason he cared that she knew the truth.

"Wow, you are taking things slow with her! Funny, I did not think you knew the meaning of the word 'slow.'" Meredith said sarcastically.

"There is a difference between going slow and backing up!" Derek was starting to get angry. "I never had anything against us going slow, but we were not even standing still, we were regressing! I went from your boyfriend who slept every night with you in my arms to a f#k buddy who got to see you for quickies before work!"

"Oh, you were gone from this relationship before we even started the S and M thing! You avoided me for days and screened my phone calls. I never got an explanation for it except that you were giving me space. I did not realize that space to you means complete abandonment!"

"Abandonment! Do you really think I abandoned you?! How in the hell could you accuse me of leaving you when I was giving you space! You left me way before that! Hell, you freaking died, Meredith, and you did not even try to save yourself! You left me in the worst possible way! I am not perfect, but I would NEVER put you through that! It was the worst experience of my life……..seeing you lifeless and knowing that you did not swim……but still wanting to do whatever it took to bring you back……getting kicked out of your room when we arrived at the hospital…….thinking I would never see you again…..My whole life went up in flames in that moment." Derek was crying at the memory. "All I could think about was what the point of life was if I did not have you to share it with? Then I tried saving your mother when she coded in her room. I could not save you or her! What kind of man was I? What kind of doctor and boyfriend was I? A failure that is what I was!!!!!!!" At this point Derek was sobbing and could no longer talk.

Meredith was shocked. She had never heard him talk like this. She had not realized what her mistake had cost the love of her life. "Derek…….you did save me. If you had not rescued me from the water, I would not be here today. And my mom……Derek…..there are things I should have told you…….that I wanted to tell you when I woke up. I should have told you...I……..got scared and……the urgency of needing to tell you slowly disappeared."

Derek watched her, his tears stopped as he realized she was about to open up to him in a way she never had before. He sat patiently, waiting for her to speak.

"I…..something happened when I was dead, and I can't really explain it fully because it was….weird…. odd….I have never been a person who thought much about what happens after we die…..I am a science girl and focused on healing, not dying. My first memory is sitting on an OR table with two guys staring at me like I was some sort of……intruder. Do you remember Denny Duquette?"

"The heart transplant patient that Izzie loved?"

"Yes. He was there." Derek continued to watch her, not really knowing what to make of her story yet. "The other guy was Dylan. You did not meet him. He was the leader of the bomb squad that talked me through getting the explosive out of a patient's chest."

Derek nodded that he understood and she could continue.

"Well, they helped me think through what I had done…..especially Denny." Meredith recounted the entire story to Derek from seeing Doc to admitting to Denny that she had given up. "It was one split second that I did not swim, Derek. The patient started fighting me because he was in so much pain and I slipped and fell into the water. I tried at first to swim…..really I did. Then for one split second…….just one……I wondered what the point was……my mom thought I was a failure. I was turning into her. I was……I just…….stopped. I did not really think it through…….it happened so fast. I was swimming one minute, and then the next……I was dead." Meredith paused as she remembered that feeling of giving up.

"Denny reminded me of what I left behind. You…..Christina…….my career……all of it. I had a life right in front of me…..a life I loved……and because my mother told me that I was ordinary and she was disappointed in me……I allowed her to……change my whole view of my life. She made what I had seem so trivial…….pointless. I was a failure in her eyes. All I have ever wanted was for her to…..accept me for me…..love me for me……" Meredith was crying at this point and had to stop for a moment to gather her composure.

"The thought of never seeing you again…..never touching you……never making love to you…..never talking to you…..it was more than I could bear. I wanted to come back, but I…….did not know how."

Derek was crying again. She had never spoken so openly about her feelings for him. It was like a taste of heaven. He would not interrupt her until she was finished, no matter what.

"This is important, Derek…….I saw my mom in this alternate universe……She…….told me I did not belong there……then she hugged me……….and told me I was anything but ordinary." Meredith stopped as sobs overtook her. Derek reached out and grabbed a hand to support her, but he was sobbing as well, remembering his last words to Ellis Grey. He knew he might scare her if he tried to pull her in his arms and he wanted her to finish. "She told me…..to keep going……and the next thing I remember is Christina over my bed telling me to use my words and that my brain worked." She smiled a little at that memory. "Derek……." Meredith pulled her hand from his and placed both hands on his face to make sure they maintained eye contact. She was scared, but she had told him this much, so she may as well finish. "I came back for you……because I loved you…..I wanted……to live my life with you……Please……do not ever think I gave up because of you…..It was because of you that I wanted to live."

At those words, Derek grabbed her and pulled her in to him for a hug. He held her, both of them crying and clinging to each other like their lives depended on it.

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Izzie and Lexie were terrified. Not only were Meredith and Derek missing, but Mark and George were nowhere to be found and now there was a blizzard that made it impossible to see anything outside.

They had called Dr. Long when Mark and George had been gone for 2 hours and told him the situation. He was distraught and he was doing everything in his power to get help to the group. Rescue teams did not routinely go out during blizzards as they did not want to put more lives at risk. He paced the floor in his home hoping that everyone was safe. How terrible would it be if his dear friend, Richard, allowed him to utilize some of his best staff and half of them ended up hurt or worse? He shuddered at the thought. He would hold off telling him for now….until he knew more.

Meanwhile Lexie was inconsolable. "What do you think happened to my sister? What about George? Please let them be okay." She alternated between sobbing uncontrollably and repeating the same questions over again. The thought of losing her sister so soon after meeting her was unbearable. They were finally getting to a place where both were making an effort to include each other in their lives. And George…..he was her first friend at SGH…..her baby buddy. His innocence and naivety were refreshing and he had quickly become like a brother to her.

Izzie remained her true optimist self to try to encourage Lexie with comments like "They are fine. Probably holed up somewhere having sex." And, "Mark is a prankster. He and George are probably hiding right outside, trying to scare us." Inside she was falling apart. Two of her dearest friends were missing and in danger and there was nothing she could do about it. She believed in heart they would be okay, but still…….a nagging doubt tugged at her core. What if they weren't okay? She could not dwell on that possibility. They were okay……They had to be. Meredith had survived so much in the past year. Surely she had not gone through all of the turmoil to end up an icicle in the Arctic. What would the point of that be?

Mark? She was realizing more than ever that she had an attraction to him and had for awhile. It was just now surfacing. After the whole fiasco with George she had decided to give up on men for awhile and just focus on work. Spending time in and out of the OR with Mark over the past few weeks had been incredible. He was easy to talk to and had a great sense of humor. He was a little cocky and she knew of his playboy tendencies, but still, she had a feeling there was more to him than meets the eye.

George? He was her best friend, her other half. While he stayed in some type of trouble continually, he had never been in physical danger since she knew him. She was not sure whether he would be strong or panic, but she wished more than anything that she was there with him. They always handled their problems together and supported each other. She was lost without him to talk to.

Izzie rarely got feelings, but she had one now. Something had happened. Something very bad had happened……….

**So Meredith finally started opening up to Derek in this chapter (if I owned the show, I would have had that happen a LONG time ago). Derek has some talking to do himself. It is coming up:) Izzie is realizig she cares about Mark more than she thought. George is her best friend. They are both missing as is Meredith. She is close to panic, but who can blame her? Mark and George??? I thought that would be a strange pairing for the search and rescue of Derek and Meredith. They are polar opposites. Anyway, more on their situation in the next chapter. **


	13. Chapter 13

Mark could not see anything. The snow was blowing into his face so rapidly; he had to squint to even keep his eyes open. He thought he had headed back in the right direction. The tracks the snowmobile made on the way to the lookout were already covered by the snow, so he was going on instinct. But he had been driving for what seemed like forever and they still had not seen any sign of the cabin. He was concerned, but knew they had to eventually find some type of shelter.

His thoughts were interrupted when the snowmobile started sputtering and came to a sudden stop. "Damn it" He muttered when he realized what had happened.

"Are we there?" George asked hopefully, looking around briefly as he had his head buried in Mark's back to keep the snow out of his face. When he saw they were still in the woods said, "Why did you stop?"

"I did not stop, the snowmobile did." Mark replied sarcastically. "It is officially out of gas."

"What?! You mean we are stranded here? In the freezing snow? Seriously? Or are you just being your typical jerk self and giving me a load of bull?" George was panicking, but secretly hoping Mark was toying with him.

"I am telling you we are out of gas!" Mark repeated impatiently. He climbed off the snowmobile and looked at George. "Come on!"

"Wha….what….where are we going?" George looked at Mark with fear and uncertainty.

"Well we sure as hell are not going to stay here! We have to walk back to the cabin. Unless you have a better idea?" Mark ended with another hint of sarcasm in his voice. He was cold and irritable and not in the mood to coax the always-cowardly George into doing the only thing they could.

"Okay…..I guess…..I guess we will walk." George finally agreed, not enthusiastically. Deep down he wondered if Mark had any idea where they were actually going. He did know that he had no desire to stay on the non-functional snowmobile by himself, where who knows what could eat him or he could freeze to death.

They started their journey but it was slow moving in the deep snow as the blizzard continued to pour down on them. After 30 minutes of walking they were tired, but not willing to stop, knowing it would mean death to them both. Just when George did not think he could go another step they stumbled into a clearing. At first, Mark thought they were surely at the cabin. He got invigorated and turned to George. "Hurry up! We are almost there!" George breathed a sigh of relief and resumed following Mark who had started walking again. Suddenly, they hear a loud noise that sounds like a mirror breaking. Mark realized what was happening and turned around to warn George to step back slowly, but it was too late…..

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Derek and Meredith lay on the bed he had made in front of the fire. They were still holding onto each other, but were exhausted; emotionally drained from their conversation. Both knew they had to rest because they were not finished. Not even close. They were content at the moment to watch the fire and think about what had just happened. The conversation had been unexpected and was new for them, but it felt right. In some ways they were closer, but they were not a couple. They were more intimate, but not having sex. Their connection was stronger than ever, but the wounds were not healed. Meredith had opened up to him in a way that she never had opened up to anyone…..not even her person. The strange thing was that she did not feel any regret or worry, just relief….like she had been stripped of a heavy burden that she no longer had to carry. No matter how he reacted she had peace about finally baring her soul to him. She felt……like she had finally done something because it was what she wanted….not what someone else expected of her.

Derek was totally amazed. He had not expected that. Not even close. Their whole conversation had been surreal. She had spoken all of the things he had longed to hear for what seemed like an eternity. He lay next to her reliving the conversation; he wanted to memorize it. The fact that Meredith had even been able to talk in coherent sentences without stumbling over her words in nervousness was impressive in itself. But to know that she came back for him……she loved him……..she did not want to leave him……It just seemed, well…… kind of perfect. Not that the situation was perfect by any means. But he had always harbored doubt that she loved him as much as he loved her. She was not expressive in her affection other than sex and it had always bothered him to a degree. Tonight……tonight she had made all of his dreams come true.

If only he could fix his mistakes. He wanted her. Only her. She was it for him. His soulmate. His everything. Nothing else he wanted in life would ever be right without her. What a selfish bastard he had been. When he thought back to everything she had been through in such a short period of time, he was amazed at how well she was doing. The fact that he had blamed all of their problems on her shortcomings and imperfections seemed ridiculous now, but had seemed accurate to him when he told her she did not trust anyone. Now….now he realize that she did not trust him; and with good reason. He had some explaining to do and he was more than ready to let her know everything. He just hoped it was enough. It had to be. He could not consider any other possibility.

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As Mark felt himself falling, he could only think one thing: I'm too young to die. Before his thoughts could get any further he was enclosed in water that not only took his breath away, but shocked his body to the core. He thought he was cold in the blizzard, but that was a sauna compared to this. This was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Like being thrown into a freezer full of ice cubes. As soon as he overcame the initial shock, his survival instincts took over. He started struggling to swim. He had to get to the top. He had to breathe. He had to live. His body that was initially in shock from the cold now seemed to be shutting down. He realized his body was going numb. This was frostbite to the worst degree. If he did not get out soon….it would be too late.

George was terrified. It was not until he saw Mark fall through the ice that he realized they were over water. He kept hearing the ice continue to crack and knew it would give way at anytime. Before he had time to formulate a plan, he heard Mark come sputtering up for air, trying in futility to grab hold of the ice. George's instincts quickly took over and he ran to the nearest tree and fished around for branches in the snow. He finally found one that was long and sturdy enough and ran back to the lake. He inched his way onto the ice quickly and carefully. Mark still had his head above water, but it was easy to see he was tiring. When George got within reach of Mark, he yelled to get his attention.

"Grab this!" George yelled and pointed the branch at Mark. It took Mark a few attempts to grab the branch since his hands were numb, but he finally managed to grasp it. George slowly pulled Mark out of the water, slipping and falling a few times on the ice, causing more cracks and increasing his fear that they were both about to be submerged. He finally succeeded. Mark was lying on the surface of the cracked ice. He was not moving. George quickly grabbed Mark by the hands and pulled him off of the ice.

He then turned Mark over onto his back. "Mark, can you hear me?!" George was now terrified. How was he going to get Mark somewhere warm? He had no idea where he was, much less how to get to where he wanted to be.

Mark opened his eyes and mumbled, "I….am…..freezing…..It is…..so cold." He was shivering uncontrollably, his teeth sounding like they were going to break off from their impact against each other. George was trying to decide which was to start dragging Mark when he heard a noise. It sounded like an animal creeping up on them. He hoped it was human contact. He desperately needed it to be. "Who is there?" George asked cautiously, and then yelled, "Hey! We need help over here!" There was no response. After a few moments of silence he thought maybe the noise was just his overactive imagination. Then he heard it again. Movement closer to him and what sounded like a faint growl. Shit, he thought. Just what we need now. To be eaten by a bear………

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Meredith began to stir. She temporarily forgot where she was and felt like someone was watching her intently. As she slowly opened her eyes and saw those beautiful blue eyes that always made her heart skip a beat staring back at her, she realized where she was. "Are you watching me sleep?" she asked grumpily peering through her eyelids at him.

"Maybe." Derek replied with his classic smirk, never veering his gaze. Watching her sleeping had been nostalgic and a little taste of heaven for him. He hoped he would be able to do it again…..and again….and again…..and again…..

"I already know you are one of those weirdoes who watches women sleep. You have seen me sleep before. Why are you watching me now?" Meredith was not really mad at him, she secretly was enjoying the way he was looking at her, but she was not about to let him know it.

"You're cute when you sleep, what can I say?" He wiggled his eyebrows and smiled.

"Boy, you use the same lines all the time, huh?"

"Only with you." He replied, then instantly noticed Meredith stiffen.

She wondered what lines he used on his other women.

"Hey, you okay?" Derek was concerned.

"Yeah, I ……just thinking." Meredith looked away from him.

"Avoiding answering me, you mean? Mer, you just poured out your heart to me an hour ago, why stop now?" He was halfway teasing her, but truly wanted to know what had caused her sudden change in mood.

"You really want to know?" She asked, looking at him again.

"Yes, I really want to know." He cocked his head to the side and gave her his best McDreamy smile.

"OK, but you might change your mind after I tell you." Meredith was a sucker for his smile and they both knew it.

"Mer, just tell me already."

"I …when you said that you only use those lines on me….."

"Yes?"

"I…….was thinking…….I mean……just wondering…….what lines you used on Addison and Rose." Meredith was wringing her hands as she finished and looked down as she finished. She was not sure how he would respond to this, but he had asked.

Derek sat for a moment in shock and dismay. He knew it was definitely time for him to do some talking. "Oh, Mer, I…..there is……so much I want to say to you right now. And it has to do with your question, it really does. But I am not going to answer it quite the way you are thinking. OK?"

Meredith looked up at him confused. How difficult was it to say, "My line for Addison was 'A Penny for your thoughts'?" Did he really have that many flirty lines? She was not sure she really wanted to hear what he was about to say. She finally managed to say, "OK." Ready or not, she was about to find out.

Derek thought for a few minutes before starting. "Addy and I were doomed from the start. Our careers were most important from the beginning. We met during our internship and became fast friends. It turned into one of those 'expected' things…..that we would marry…..be top surgeons in our field…..and so on. I believed it not because I felt she was the one, but because everyone else said she was. We were always called the perfect couple and everyone talked about how jealous they were and what a great life we would have. After I finished my internship and started my fellowship, marriage just seemed like the next logical step in this journey of life. Don't get me wrong, I loved Addison and a part of me always will, but….it was never an all consuming love…..not the soul mates who are destined to be together type of love. I think we would still be together if she had not cheated on me with Mark, but I know we would not be happy. We became strangers long before that. Work took over both of our lives as our ambition to be the best became most important."

Meredith was watching him with interest, but no emotion was evident on her face. He stopped briefly to study her but when he could not read what she was thinking, he just continued.

"When I met you……I felt a connection immediately. One I had never experienced with anyone else and one that I did not even know existed. It was……electric…….surreal……I cannot even really describe it. I have asked myself a million times why I did not tell you about Addison. I knew I had fallen for you and I knew you would understand, but I……I guess I wanted to pretend my life in New York did not exist. Like if I ignored it, it would go away. The night Addison showed up……I swear to you on my life, Mer…..I was going to tell you. I was going to tell you when we went to dinner. I knew it was time. I was falling for you and I wanted everything out on the table. Yes, it was a lie by omission, and I have regretted it ever since, but I never would have wished that on you…..never…..in a million years. The look on your face when she introduced herself……it broke my heart. I will never forget that moment, ever."

Meredith had looked away when he mentioned the night she found out about Addison, but Derek grabbed her chin and maneuvered her head back to face him. "Mer, I am so sorry. So sorry."

"I know you understood when I went back to her to try again. But I told you I was divorcing her and staying with you. I am so sorry. So sorry." Meredith was crying at this point and Derek was doing his best to control his tears, because he was not finished.

"When you were choosing between me and Finn and I told you I was walking away…..Mer, I honestly thought I would just hurt you again…which I did. I always knew Finn would never treat you the way that I had. And then, the day you told me that you broke up with Finn……Addison revealed a horrible secret to me that I will be bitter about until I die. I will go into that later, but……I needed space to do a little healing. Or at least I thought I did. Being without you was unimaginable after our camping trip and I just knew I had to make things right. Being with you makes my life worthwhile…..my life means something when I am with you." Derek paused for a moment to wipe tears from Meredith's face with his thumbs and kiss her forehead.

"The chief position was offered to me. I did not think I stood a chance at first. Why did I withdraw from you? It was an internal struggle. I was deciding which direction I wanted my life to go. The truth is…..I thought I had a decision to make, when in reality…….the decision was a no-brainer. My options were to become chief and make the hospital my wife or be a surgeon and make you my wife. Once I thought of it in that context……my decision was simple. I am sorry I never shared that with you……the whole struggle."

"When you started withdrawing from me, I panicked. It hurt. After awhile I started to resent you because I had given up my dream to be chief to be with you, the woman I love, and I felt like you were slowing leaving me. I was going to end up accomplishing neither of my dreams. You never knew anything about my decision, but I still blamed you. Mer, I am sorry."

"The whole S M thing? I should never have agreed to that. I knew I wanted more with you. I was just willing to take what I could get at the time, but it ended up putting more distance between us. I resented you more." Meredith was listening, hanging on to every word, and he was going to say it all.

"I started getting attention from other women. Mark broadcast all over the hospital that I was available. I started getting invitations for drinks or dinner. I blew everyone off at first, but the further we drifted, the more I sought attention from others. It was an ego boost. I was lonely and I missed you and I was trying to find someone…….to be you. The old you. The one who let me in and slept in my arms and bossed me around. The few dates I went on were nothing compared to you. Nothing. Rose……she said a lot of the right things and yes, she wanted what I wanted, but……the difference is….I wanted those things with you, not her. No matter how much I tried to move on, I couldn't. I still can't."

"You are it for me. No one else can fill the void in my heart that you do. I know I have made mistakes and I know I broke you...Mer……I am sorry……so so sorry……I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you and helping regain your trust. Please…..please do not give up on us…….on me. I love you more than anything. My life without you is…….dark and twisty. My life with you……no matter what else happens…..is bright and shiny. Please tell me we have another chance. Please……."

**Derek opened up in this chapter. I would love to see him apologize to Mer on the show. He never seemed to realize exactly what an impact his actions had on her. He blamed her abandonment issues and trust issues on her family, but he failed to see the role he played in them. As several of you have said in your wonderful comments, I too, wish they would really talk on the show. Oh well, I am more thankful for ficland:) We can have Mer/Der say whatever we want ;) There are really awesome fics on this site. Enjoy! More to come - **


	14. Chapter 14

**Ok - the first half is Mark/George's situation. The second is Mer/Der and I will warn you ahead of time...It is rated M ;)**

The snow had stopped falling, at least for the moment. George decided that if it was indeed a bear approaching them, he was not going down without a fight. He grabbed the branch he had used to pull Mark out of the water and placed it in his hands much like a batter before a pitch in a baseball game. Mark was sitting up against a tree and delirious by this point. He had no idea what was going on. He just knew he was cold and would give anything for dry clothes and a fire.

The noise got louder and just as the animal jumped through the clearing, George heard a high pitched whine. George saw a dog or wolf; he was not sure which but figured it had to be a wolf since they were in the middle of nowhere. He braced himself to attack if needed, but the before he knew had a chance to respond, the wolf dog had closed the gap between them and was licking his hand and wagging his tail. George saw a collar around the animal's neck and now realized it was indeed a dog. He breathed a sigh of relief and for the first time in hours, a glimmer of hope surfaced.

"Whoa, boy, you scared me!" George laughed at the dog as he bent down to get a closer look at the animal and it started licking his face. He figured the dog was either lost or close to home. He was hoping for the latter. "You have a home? Is it close by?" The dog's ears perked up when George said the word 'home.' George did not want to get too excited, but this could be an answer to his prayers. He said, "You want to go home? Home?" The dog barked and started off in the opposite direction from where he and Mark had originally been going. The dog stopped when he saw George remained standing in the same spot and came back to him.

Now George was torn. Does he leave Mark alone and see how far the dog's home is? Or does he try to get Mark walking? He decided the only thing to do was to try to get Mark to stand up and walk with his support. He went over to Mark who was being sniffed by the dog and said, "Mark, do you think you can walk with my help? We need to try to find you shelter and warmth. I do not know what else to do."

Mark looked up at George and, though he wanted nothing less than to move, he knew it was his only fighting chance to survive. He nodded to George, reserving his energy to stand up. With the help of the tree and George he was able to slowly rise from sitting to standing. He was shivering so badly that he George was shaking trying to hold onto him. Once he remained on his feet for a few minutes and seemed stable with George's support, he tried to take a step. He was wobbly, but able to maintain his weight with George's help. They were not going to get anywhere in a hurry, but moving was better than being still. Sitting still was the same as giving up. Neither George nor Mark was willing to succumb to the disparity of their situation. They were going to do everything they physically could to survive. Both had witnessed patients beating the odds and recovering from accidents or illnesses that made no scientific sense, but it happened.

George looked at the dog again and said, "Home? You want to go home?" The dog immediately started barking and wagging his tale as he darted off. He disappeared from sight for a minute but returned looking curiously at his followers. He watched them with his head tilted and then seemed to realize they were going to move slowly. He ran up ahead without getting out of George's sight and waited for Mark and George to catch up with him. When they got to the spot he was standing, he took off again and stopped, waiting for them, again remaining in sight.

Mark was making progress and the more he moved, the more his legs seemed to want to move, more for warmth than destination. If the situation had not been so life threatening, George would have marveled at how smart this dog was. He hoped to live through this, if not for any other reason than to hug this dog who showed up unexpectedly in their hour of need. Step by step, they inched closer to their destination, unsure as to how far exactly they had to go and if they would be able to reach the place this dog was leading them to…….home.

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Meredith stared at Derek for what seemed like an eternity to him, not responding to his plea to give him another chance. She had not expected this at all. He had never taken responsibility for their problems, but had always blamed her issues for their issues. Her heart wanted to scream, "YES we have another chance!" while her brain was screaming "NO I can never trust you again!" She did not know which to listen to….she just knew she could not give up on him. The thought of spending her life without him and seeing someone else in his arms was more than she could bear.

"Yes……I……I think……….I want…..I mean….I know I want……another chance with you." Meredith whispered so softly Derek was not sure she had actually said. When she looked up at him with her tear-filled eyes, his heart leapt with joy. He immediately grabbed her head with both of his hands and pulled her towards him. His fingers went through her hair as his lips came crashing down on hers. Meredith responded immediately and wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his curls. Derek's tongue begged for entry into Meredith's mouth after licking her upper and lower lips. She quickly granted access and soon her tongue joined his in the sweet tango of love.

As their kiss became more passionate, Derek slowly straddled Meredith and guided her onto her back on the bed. Her hands started pulling at his sweater and he sat up long enough to help her take it off. As he bent back down to capture her lips in his once again, he looked into her eyes and saw the love they shared reflecting in hers. For the first time in a long time, they were connecting more than just physically. It was spiritual, emotional, body and soul. His lips sucked on her lower lip before flicking his tongue over her teeth for entrance once more into her mouth. She worked to remove his jeans which she desperately wanted off so she could feel the ever growing bulge on her skin. He assisted her and together, had them off without breaking lip contact. He moaned as his member was allowed freedom and landed on her abdomen. He returned the favor and slid her jeans over her hips and down her uninjured leg. Before they knew it, they were naked, exploring each other's body with their hands. The both knew each other's body better than their own, but neither could ever remember enjoying each other's touch as much as they did now.

Derek finally broke their kiss which had gone from passionate to brutal, aching with need and desire. He eyed her beautiful swollen lips once more before he started sucking on her jaw, slowly moving down her neck with his mouth. Doing wonderful things with his mouth. Things only he could do. Things she wished he would do forever. She started moaning as he flicked and sucked on the place on her neck only he knew gave her almost more pleasure than she could stand. She continued exploration of his body with her hands, tracing patterns with her fingertips from his back to his abdomen to his butt to his hair and back again. As he slowly continued his journey towards her breasts she marveled at his lips. His perfect lips. And tongue. His perfect tongue. He held one arm out for support so all of his weight was not on her. His mouth found one breast while one of his hands found the other. He grasped one with his hand and bit down on the other simultaneously, almost sending a shrieking Meredith to orgasm. He looked up at her with a smirk. She was panting and trying to physically move his body into position.

"Are you ready baby?" He asked huskily already knowing the answer, but wanting to hear her say it.

"God, yes…… Derek…..ppp…..please.." Meredith managed to stammer as she tried to catch her breath.

Derek dropped his hand down to her throbbing core and started working circles around her clit with his thumb before entering her with a finger. "OH GOD DEREK!" Meredith yelled, "PLEASE!" Feeling how wet and ready she was almost sent him over the edge, but he wanted to hear her say it. "Please what, Mer?" He asked teasingly, starting to pant as he anticipated her answer, removing his finger from her core and resuming work on her clit. "I need you…..oh….Der….I …….need…..you……." Meredith's eyes started rolling back in her head as she started to peak, but he stopped right before her orgasm hit.

"Wha…..wha….what did you do stop for?" Meredith whined, giving Derek her most pitiful look.

"Because I want us to come together." Derek replied as he entered her, slowly at first, sending her into a moaning frenzy. "Holy……sh……Derek…..OH…….I'm….I'm…..OH…." Meredith continued moaning as Derek started thrusting deeper and more vigorously. She wrapped her uninjured leg around his waist to deepen the penetration and give her leverage to thrust with him. This almost sent Derek over the edge. "Oh, sh, baby…..Meri…..you are……so wet…..so tight……so……" He moaned into her mouth as he resumed kissing her with force as brutal as his thrusts. They came together in a blissful moment that had both of them gasping for air, sweat trickling down their bodies. He collapsed beside her and pulled her into his arms, so her head was on his chest. They were silent for a few moments as their bodies started to relax.

"That was….." Meredith began. "Amazing" Derek finished as he placed a kiss on her forehead and started running his hand up and down her back. "Yeah," Meredith answered, with a satiated gaze on her face. "Yeah," He replied back, still awed by what she did to him. They had lots of sex. Lots of sex. And he loved sex. Loved it. But it normally got to be a routine when he was with the same woman for any amount of time. Not so with Meredith. Sex with her was…..phenomenal……ecstasy. He had never experienced anything like it. Sex with Meredith…….no making love…..making love to Meredith…..his Meredith. She interrupted his thoughts. "I love you, Derek." Meredith whispered looking up at him into his eyes. "I love you, too," Derek replied sticking a finger under her chin and pulling her lips to his for a kiss. She smiled when she pulled away and returned her head to his chest.

He smiled as he realized that she truly was his. The talk they had tonight had convinced him beyond any doubt that they were forever. All of a sudden the house, the marriage certificate, the children……did not seem so important. Not that they were not important, because they were. But, Meredith……she was more important. The most important. The one he wanted to spend his life with, making her happy, fulfilling her dreams.

Meredith lay in his arms feeling the safety she always felt when he was holding her. She wanted this. She wanted him. Forever. And forever had never been something Meredith spent much time thinking about because nothing in her life had ever been forever. But Derek was. Forever. Or at least a lifetime. Her lifetime. His lifetime. As she closed her eyes she pictured their home overlooking the water on his land. She could see them hand-in-hand walking the land with their children and dog running ahead. Two children….or was it three? She was asleep before she could find out.

**Now Derek is fine with his life as long as Meredith is part of it. The rest will come in time. He is no longer in a hurry. Meredith is now seeing the home, family life that he has wanted for so long with her as part of her future. It is not that she never wanted it. She just did not think it was attainable for her. Happy endings and Meredith Grey were not well known to each other. Not that they are safe yet (still stuck in the woods), but at least as a couple, things are working out :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the lack of updates. I have been off the site for awhile. I did not think there was much interest in this fic - I will continue. :)**

Meanwhile, back at Bethel PHS Hospital, Dr. Williamson and Rose were washing up after an emergency appendectomy. It was after 1am and they were the only two left in the scrub room. Andrew missed Meredith, but he thought Rose may be able to give him some insight into her past with Derek. Meredith did not talk about it, except to say they were over. For some reason he knew that the more he found out about what happened between them, the more prepared he would be to take the necessary steps to make Meredith his.

"So, Rose, I appreciate your helping on my surgery. I know it is late. Would you care to join me for a drink?"

"Sure, that would be nice." Rose replied. She was bored with Derek gone and needed a distraction. She also knew that Andrew had an interest in Meredith and was more than happy to push them together in any way she could. The key to winning Derek's heart, she had decided, was to ensure Meredith was no longer available. That would leave Derek no choice but to move on. Rose planned on being there when that happened.

They went back to the locker rooms and changed, then headed to a local bar. Andrew found an empty booth in a corner and after making sure she was comfortable, went to order drinks. She wanted a pina colada. That made him laugh. What kind of girl ordered a tropical drink in Alaska? Oh well, this was business, so he would order whatever she wanted. After all, he had a feeling that together the two of them could make sure Derek and Meredith were over forever, and Meredith would be in his arms. He smiled evilly as he thought on this until the bartender took his order. He ordered Rose's drink and a gin tonic for himself. He had initially been distraught at the idea of Meredith and Derek at Dr. Long's cabin this weekend, and he had been angry when Dr. Long mentioned this to him. He now realized that even this situation could turn out for the best. The bartender handed him the drinks and he took them over to Rose and had a seat.

"So I understand you and Derek are dating?" Andrew started off, not bothering to waste time on small talk. He had a feeling he would find a willing participant in his ploy to destroy Derek's chance of ever getting back Meredith.

"Well we sort of are. I mean, we started to date back in Seattle, but then this trip came up and we have been here. Derek is very much a business man and he has been focused so much on work that he has not been as attentive as I would like." Rose was already scheming also and had no qualms about letting this man know that she would do whatever it took to make Derek hers. "He and Meredith had just broken up when he started dating me, and apparently she has this hold on him. It is annoying to say the least." Rose stopped for a moment to gauge Andrew's reaction. She could tell he did not know much about the whole Derek/Meredith saga, so she proceeded to fill him in on the ups and downs of their relationship.

When she finished, Andrew sat back for a moment and thought about what she had said. She had made their relationship problems seem like Meredith's fault, but he had a feeling there was more to the story than what Rose was sharing. Either way, it sounded like there was enough damage to cause some serious trust issues. That was the key. Now for a plan.

"Rose, what is that around your neck?" Andrew asked casually seeing the diamond ring that could only be one thing……an engagement ring. It had fallen to the front of her shirt and she had not noticed it. She had carefully been keeping it hidden since she started seeing Derek, but she still felt compelled to wear it. The memories and hope it gave her made it impossible to part with…..at least until she got one from Derek.

She told him the story of her ring and ex-fiancé while she toyed with the ring. Andrew found himself amused by this woman's obvious over-dramatic ways. Yes, he thought to himself, she is perfect. And the ring had given him the perfect plan.

"Are you sure Derek is the one for you?" Andrew asked, knowing what her answer would be.

"Of course! He is it! I will do whatever it takes to show him that I am for him." Rose answered emphatically.

"Well I know Meredith is right for me. It seems there is a little hesitation on their part because of baggage due to problems between them. Rose, what do you say we help them along in recovering from their damaged relationship?" Andrew questioned knowing he had her right where he wanted.

"As long as it does not hurt Derek, I am in" Rose answered without hesitation.

"Oh he might hurt temporarily, but in the long run, he will thank you." Andrew replied with a gleam in his eyes.

"Well then, Dr. Williamson, tell me what is on your mind."

Andrew gave her his best smile and filled her in on the simple plan. As Rose listened she got more excited. It was a way to ensure Meredith never went near Derek again. This was her best chance to win him over. She agreed with the plan without any questions. Dr. Williamson was a smart man and he knew what he wanted. Rose admired that in him. It is something they had in common. Not to mention the plan was foolproof. Derek might be angry for awhile if he found out, but he would get over it….and more importantly he would never get a chance to explain it to Meredith. Suddenly Rose was even more ready for this weekend to be over with and for Derek to return. The fireworks would be explosive…….

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Izzie and Lexie were hysterical. There was absolutely nothing they could do except wait. And wait. And wait. They had paced the floor of the living room for hours but had finally sat on the couch and started staring at the clock. Watching the seconds pass by ever so slowly. Painfully and slowly. Each passing moment enhanced their fears. Their imaginations were running wild, to the darkest realms of possibilities. Conversation had become too much of an effort and neither was paying attention to what the other was saying anyway. Their thoughts were interrupted when they heard the phone ring.

Izzie jumped to her feet and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" She said in a voice that revealed trepidation but also hope.

"Hello. This is Izzie, right?" Mrs. Long inquired.

"Yes, that is right."

"I just wanted to let you know that since the storm has passed, they are sending emergency crews out to search for your friends. Bill is on his way to the cabin as we speak. I am sure your friends found a safe place to stay. They are very intelligent and tough. None of them would give up without a fight." Mrs. Long wanted to encourage them. She knew the odds that all of them had survived were small, but until they knew for sure…..there was always hope.

"Thanks for letting us know. We are worried out of our minds, but knowing someone is doing something helps." Izzie replied softly, thinking about what condition they may be found in.

"All of you are in my thoughts and prayers, Izzie. Keep your chin up. Miracles happen every day. I will call you if I hear anything and you do the same, alright?"

"OK." Izzie replied, remembering all of the moments when she had witnessed miracles herself over the past year. "Thanks." As she hung up the phone, she finally had a peace that everything would be alright.

Izzie looked over at Lexie who was trying to patiently wait for her to give the update. Izzie told her what Mrs. Long had said and they sat there in continuing silence. Overwhelming silence. When she could not take it anymore, Lexie finally burst into tears. She was sobbing uncontrollably. Izzie grabbed her into a hug and they clung to each other; releasing their tension together through tears.

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Meredith was sleeping soundly in Derek's arms, but he was wide awake. Grinning from ear to ear. Yes, he knew if Mark saw him right now he would ride him about how goofy he was grinning. But he simply did not care. He had made amends with the woman he loved. The woman he loved more than anything. They had talked. Really talked. Not just about the weather or their day at work, but about them…..their relationship issues. It had been….hard…it had been freeing……hurtful, but healing all at the same time. Meredith had opened up to him. She had come back for him. She loved him. She wanted a life with him. His heart swelled with joy as he contemplated all that she had revealed. He was never letting her go again. No matter what. If it took the rest of his life to earn her trust back, then so be it. This was right. This was it. This was……perfect. What he had wanted all along. Meredith. Opening up. Sharing her thoughts and feelings with him. Trusting him. Even though he did not deserve it. She was giving him another chance. He was not going to blow it this time. This time……he would do it right.

He continued smiling his cheesy grin as he started to drift off to sleep. Just as he started to doze he heard a noise. It sounded like a dog barking. Or he supposed it was actually a wolf since they were nowhere near civilization. Still it was a barking….not a howling. He was definitely not going to sleep with that noise. It was worse than Meredith's snoring, although he admitted he had actually gotten used to her cacophony of sounds. He actually slept better when he heard it because it meant she was next to him. He slowly maneuvered his arms out from around Meredith and made sure she was comfortable. She stirred slightly, but never awakened. He saw her smiling in her sleep which made him smile. She looked so peaceful. Happy. He hoped the happy dreams included him. For the first time in a long time, he truly believed that he was part of her dreams. The thought made him smile wider as his thumb traced her jaw line. He spent a moment re-memorizing her face. The face he loved so much. The most beautiful face he had ever laid eyes on. His continuing gaze on her face was interrupted as were his thoughts as he heard the barking getting closer. He decided he should see what was going on.

He sat up and grabbed his clothes and started dressing. He noticed it was colder in the cabin and the fire was simmering down. He would rekindle it, but before he did he tucked a few extra blankets around Meredith's body to make sure she did not get cold. He put his boots on and went to the window to see if it was still snowing. It had stopped and all he could see was the light from the moon shining off of the snow. It was beautiful. He admired the view for a moment and then decided to work on the fire. Before his eyes roamed from the snow, he thought he saw something moving towards the cabin. At first he thought it was indeed a wolf. He watched the animal for a few minutes and noticed that he kept looking behind him, like he was waiting for something to follow. Derek did not have to wait long to see two figures emerge from the woods, one seeming to carry much of the load of the other. They were definitely people and he quickly assessed that they needed help. He grabbed his coat and ran out the door to offer his assistance.

**So Mer/Der are working things out...As always, there are going to be struggles (but nothing that keeps them apart - at least not in my fic)...I have more written so I will try to add a chapter each day until this site is caught up. Andrew and Rose? They are nuts, plain and simple. They do have a plan, but remember...Mer and Der have the love :) **


	16. Chapter 16

By the time Derek and George got Mark into the cabin, he had lost consciousness. They quickly pulled him close to the fire and started taking his wet clothes off. Neither was too excited to see him naked, but they knew he needed to be warm and dry, and fast! Derek ran and grabbed towels out of the bathroom and they started drying him off, rubbing his body as hard and fast as possible to increase circulation. As Derek worked he noticed Mark's lips and extremities were blue. He had only seen that shade of blue one other time; when he pulled Meredith out of Elliott Bay. He quickly shook off those thoughts and concentrated on warming his friend. Mark was still breathing and he felt a faint, but he had a palpable pulse, so he knew he was okay at the moment. After they dried him completely, Derek grabbed some extra blankets off of the still sleeping Meredith and they covered him with blankets from head-to-toe, only leaving openings for breathing.

"How long has he been out there wet?" Derek asked George, trying to assess how bad the damage to Mark might be.

"I…I don't know. We lost track of time, of direction, of….everything." George replied, his concern showing in his eyes.

"You saved his life, George," Derek replied with tears in his eyes. He and George had always had a rocky relationship; it started when George found out about him and Meredith. Neither had ever had as much respect for the other as they did in this moment. George had noticed Meredith sleeping soundly when he brought Mark in; he could see Derek had taken good care of her. They each gave the other a nod and look of respect; both knowing they finally had bonded by taking care of people that meant the world to them.

After the moment passed, Derek offered to heat up tea and soup for George which he gladly accepted. While Derek went to work on the food, George removed his coat and boots and began the process of thawing out as he sat by the fire. Derek handed the soup and tea to George when they heard Meredith say, "George?" Both turned to see a still groggy Meredith looking around in confusion. She remembered the cabin and Derek being there, but when did George show up?

"Hey, Meredith." George answered in between gulping down the soup followed by the tea. The warmth he felt going down into his stomach seemed to radiate throughout his body. He never knew it was possible to be that cold.

Meredith looked at Derek questioningly and started to sit up, but Derek quickly grabbed her and laid her back down. "What are you doing?" She asked him, looking at him like he had two heads.

"Uh, Mer…..you might want to keep the blankets on…….for warmth." He smirked at her as she remembered that she was in fact naked.

"You could have warned me before you let him in!" She hissed at him, getting angry at his amused look.

"We were a little busy." Derek replied pointing over to where Mark was.

"Who is that?" Meredith asked as she felt panic start to rise. There would only be one reason to cover a body up. It meant…..

"Relax, Mer. Mark is suffering from hypothermia. He is unconscious but breathing. We are trying to warm him up." Derek explained as he stroked her arm in comfort.

"Oh…." She replied as she realized what he was saying. "But…what about….Izzie and Lexie?" She started to freak out again.

"They are at the cabin. Mark and I came to look for you when you did not return and the snowstorm hit. We ran out of gas and got lost. Somehow we ended up here." George ended still trying to make sense of the events of the day. He had finished his soup and tea so he got up to check on Mark. It was hard to be sure, but his body temperature seemed to be rising. He was still blue, but still breathing. He would need time before they would know what kind of shape he would be in; if and when he woke up.

Meredith breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Derek. He leaned down and captured her lips with his in a short but tender kiss. "Everyone is safe. You can stop worrying now." He said with a loving smile as he pulled away from the kiss. Before he could sit up completely, she placed her arms around his neck and pulled him down next to her so she could rest her head on his chest and hear his heartbeat. She needed to feel his heartbeat. He gladly let her and drew her up into his arms so he could breathe in the scent of her hair. She relaxed as she lay in his arms. Yes, she was definitely safe.

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The search and rescue teams utilized dog sleds, snowmobiles, teams of hikers, and a helicopter to look for the missing group. Since the snowstorm had subsided and daylight was beginning to break out over the mountains, they knew the search would be easier, they just hoped it was not for dead bodies.

Dr. Long stayed with Izzie and Lexie and kept up with the communication of the search and rescue teams through a CB. The three sat anxiously awaiting a report, both wanting and dreading news at the same time.

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George and Derek took turns sleeping, so someone was watching over Mark at all times in case his status changed. During Derek's shift, Meredith woke up in excruciating leg pain. He gave her more medication and helped her get dressed, knowing they would not get anymore alone time in the cabin. Once she fell back asleep and he had checked on Mark once again, Derek decided that he needed a plan. He figured a rescue team would be looking for them, but he had no idea how far from the cabin they were or if they would be found. He decided to try something he had seen on TV. He put on his jacket and went out looking for large branches. If a helicopter made its way overhead, some sort of sign would help them. As he wandered into the woods, he noticed the dog following him. "Hey buddy" he said to their new friend. He was impressed with this animal, but also a little concerned. Where were his owners? He did not look malnourished and the storm had not bothered him at all from what he could tell. Still Derek felt better having his companion as he wondered through the woods, not knowing what he may stumble upon. It did not take him long to gather enough large branches to do what he needed, so he headed back to the cabin, the dog on his heels. Once he returned, he took the branches and used them for form the word "HELP" on the snow next to the cabin. He was not sure it would work, but it was worth a try.

Just as he finished his little project he thought he heard a noise in the distance. At first he thought his ears were playing tricks on him, but the drone got louder and confirmed that he did, in fact, hear a motor. It sounded much like a snowmobile. And it seemed to be heading towards them. He ran back into the cabin to awaken George. One of them needed to flag down the snowmobile for help and the other needed to stay with Mark and Meredith.

"George, wake up!" Derek whispered as loudly as he could as he shook the sleeping man.

"Wha…wha…..what's wrong?!" George saw the look on Derek's face and immediately thought something was wrong with Mark.

"I hear the sound of snowmobiles in the distance and the noise seems to be getting closer. I am going to go try to track them down to make sure they find us. Keep an eye on them while I am gone, ok?" Derek told George, motioning to Meredith and Mark.

"OK…..but, Dr. Shepherd?" George asked timidly.

"Yes?" Derek asked not taking the time to tell him he could call him by his first name.

"Be careful. I just know……well…..Meredith has lost more than her share of people she loves, so….all I am saying is….be careful." George finished when he saw the look of understanding and appreciation in Derek's eyes.

"I will be. The dog will go with me. You take care of my love and my best friend and I will take care of me." Derek replied with another kind look at George. "Oh, and George……" Derek started. "Call me Derek, at least outside of the hospital." Before George could respond, Derek was out the door and on his way to get help.

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Within three hours the group had been found and was on their way to Bethel PHS Hospital to be assessed and treated as needed. They transported Mark via helicopter as his condition was the most serious and he was still unresponsive. Meredith, Derek, and George all traveled via ambulance, though they did not appear to be seriously injured, except for Meredith's leg. Izzie and Lexie traveled back with Dr. Long. They were relieved that their friends had been found, but wanted to see for themselves. Izzie spent most of the journey back saying a silent prayer for Mark. She realized that she cared more deeply for him than she had acknowledged. The thought scared her. The last time she truly loved someone was Denny and he had died. What if Mark did not make it? As soon as the though crossed her mind she made herself dismiss it. Things would be different this time. He was strong. He was stubborn. He was Mark. He would make it through this……he would.

Upon arrival to the hospital, Meredith, George, and Derek were all taken into triage rooms to be evaluated. Other than minor frostbite, George and Derek were fine. Meredith had her leg properly set and was given a medical boot to wear. Izzie and Lexie rushed to their bedsides as soon as they pulled into the parking lot. George and Derek were released before Meredith. They both went to her room to check on her and found her and Lexie laughing and talking. Both men were happy to see the girls bonding, so instead of interrupting, they decided to run to Mark's room to see how he was doing. They were surprised to find Izzie by his bedside, her hand in his.

"Iz, how is he doing?" George asked concerned not only for Mark but for his friend who seemed so distraught. Upon closer inspection George and Derek could both see he was in the same state as he was in the cabin; blue and unconscious.

"Dr. Shepherd…..Derek" Izzie began. "You know better than anyone. What are the chances he will wake up and have normal brain function?" She pleaded with her eyes for him to give her the answer that she wanted to hear.

"I…..I….it….it's hard to say. I need to see a brain scan first. Even then, we will not know for sure unless….until he wakes up." Derek said, disparate over the fact that his best friend was in this kind of shape, but also intrigued as to Izzie's reaction to Mark's condition. He knew they were attracted to each other, but he had no idea that they had feelings for each other. George was thinking the same thing. He had only seen his friend like this once over a man, and it was Denny.

All of their thoughts were interrupted when they heard an alarm go off and realized Mark's heart had stopped.

**Your comments are awesome! Thanks for the reviews.**


	17. Chapter 17

"So you and Derek are back together?" Lexie asked; glad to see her sister so happy.

"Yeah and for the first time since before Addison, I truly feel like we are forever. Meant to be. Like I can trust him again. He….I….we….talked…….really talked. We had never said the things to each other that we did last night. It was like a whole new beginning. We made a lot of progress. For once, I feel like I can do the whole relationship thing and I am thinking about a house and marriage and a family. I never thought of myself as that person……" Meredith trailed off amazing herself that she was thinking on these things and especially that she was sharing them with her sister. Her sister. She felt badly for the way she had treated Lexie at first, but was grateful that she had persisted in trying to get to know her. Lexie reminded her so much of Susan. And she had loved Susan. And Susan had been persistent.

"Meredith, I have never seen two people who share as much love as you two. I can only hope to have one day what you two have." This caught Meredith off guard. She was not used to people wanting what she had in life. She was always the one admiring other people's lives and relationships. She smiled. She was becoming that person. The person with a realistic fairytale life. Not all perfect and problem less; rather imperfect with problems. But she was discovering that the fairytale was not in the life, it was in who your life was shared with. Derek….he was her knight in shining whatever. Without him, there was no fairytale. They were given another chance and she was determined this time to not run or freak out every time he mentioned something about moving forward. Because she was ready. She started to explain how she felt to Lexie when someone walked into her room, preventing them from finishing their conversation.

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Andrew had put his plan into action as soon as he found out they were back. He had just been notified of the whole fiasco of Meredith, Derek, Mark, and George getting lost in the snowstorm when he was in surgery that morning with Rose. She had seemed as surprised and distraught as he had been. As soon as they scrubbed out and found out where Meredith and Derek were, they decided there was no time like the present. As Andrew walked into the triage room where Meredith was sitting up, talking to Lexie he was relieved. No Derek. Perfect. He had heard from a nurse in ICU that Derek was by his friend's bedside when he coded. Derek would not be leaving his friend anytime soon. This gave him and Rose the time they needed he thought with a smile.

"Hey, glad to see you back in one piece!" Andrew said with a smile, truly happy to see this beautiful woman again. He frowned when he saw her leg, but she smiled back at him and said, "Trust me, it looks worse than it feels. I am on great medicine now!"

Meredith then turned to Lexie and said, "Would you mind if I talk to Andrew for a few minutes? Then I would really like to go up and see how Mark is doing."

"Ok," Lexie replied. "I'll grab a wheelchair and take you up when you are done."

"Thanks, Lex," Meredith replied as she grabbed her sister in a hug. Lexie was shocked, but thrilled and returned the hug happily before heading out the door.

As soon as Lexie left, Andrew came up to Meredith, lifted her chin, and bent down to kiss her, but she pulled back. "What's wrong?" He asked trying to keep the anger out of his voice. He did not like being rejected.

"I……Andrew……I need to tell…..you something…..I am so sorry I did not tell you sooner." Meredith began. She knew she had to be honest with him. He had been kind to her and she appreciated it, but the truth of the matter was that he was not Derek and never would be. "Derek and I…..we have a history. I did not tell you about it because I was hurting and was doing the best I could to not think about it. We broke up shortly before we came here and things were……unresolved. When we were stranded in the cabin, we had a chance to talk……really talk and……we worked things out….or we are….working things out. I really want this with him. I am so sorry I……did not mean to……lead you on….or anything. You are a….great guy…..and I appreciate all of the nice things….you did for me. I hope….we can keep in touch. Be friends." Meredith finished and saw the look on Andrew's face change from anger to sadness to what looked like confusion.

"I would like to remain friends, Meredith. I would like that a lot." Andrew began. "As a friend I have to tell you what I know, ok?"

"Ok" Meredith replied, not at all sure as to what he was about to say.

"The last thing I want to see is you hurt. You are special to me in more ways than you know, but I do not want someone leading you on that is trying to hang on to two women."

"Are you talking about Rose?" Meredith asked, relief showing on her face when Andrew nodded. "I know they went out a few times, but he told me all about her."

"And you are not upset?" Andrew asked.

"Well….I am not thrilled that he kissed her, but…..we were not technically together. I was…..being…uh.. difficult. But we are working through all of that." Meredith answered confidently.

"So since this mountain trip he has decided he wants to be with you." Andrew said as kindly as he could. "Which means he is going to break off his engagement to Rose?"

It took Meredith a moment to process what Andrew said. "You have to be mistaken…..He was…they… were…..it was never……that……serious. " She wondered who in the world had come up with that rumor. She was starting to feel nauseous, but she knew there was a misunderstanding somewhere. This hospital must be as much of a rumor mill as SGH……maybe worse.

"Meredith, please understand I am not a gossip. I do not relay information that I hear from other people. I saw the ring. Rose is wearing an engagement ring. Derek gave it to her right before you left on Friday for your trip. She was upset that she had to work and could not celebrate properly with him. I worked with her all weekend in the OR. Trust me; all she could talk about was this magnificent wedding they were going to have on his land." Andrew said trying to sound distraught that he had to tell her such awful news.

"I….there has to be…..some mistake…..he isn't…….can't be…." Meredith was starting to hyperventilate but still thought there was something odd about the whole situation. This did not sound at all like the Derek she knew….or thought she knew.

"Breathe, Meredith" Andrew grabbed a paper bag and helped her bring it to her mouth to help slow her breathing.

When her breathing was finally under control, she looked up at Andrew and said, "I need to talk to Derek. I am sure there is a misunderstanding……he would not do that……" She trailed off uncertainly.

"Yes, by all means, I think you should talk to Derek. Find out what is going on." Andrew encouraged just as Lexie appeared with the wheelchair. Andrew helped Meredith to the wheelchair and Lexie wheeled her out of the triage room. She had noticed a change in her sister's demeanor, but did not want to ask about it in front of Andrew.

Meredith was regaining control of her emotions and in a hurry to find Derek. Just as they started down the hallway, she saw Rose appear at the nurses' station outside of her room. She could not help but look at her left hand and her breath hitched in her throat when she saw it. Her world came crashing down to a pit of despair she had never known. Rose was wearing an engagement ring. A big ring. Obviously Derek's gift. She managed to say, "Lexie…I….need……I need to…..get out….of here."

Lexie left the back of the wheelchair to face her sister. Meredith was sobbing uncontrollably now. "Mer, what is wrong? Do you want me to get Derek?"

"NO! I want….I need….to…..I have to leave….take me……to the hotel…" Meredith managed to get out in between sobs.

"OK, um, let me see if I can find a ride for us." Lexie started looking around frantically. She was worried. What had happened that had caused her sister's change from happy to distraught in such a short time.

Andrew suddenly appeared and looked questioningly at Lexie. "She wants to go to the hotel. That is all she can tell me right now."

"I will take you both back. That is not a problem." Andrew replied.

"Thanks" Lexie replied with a sigh of relief. She was too busy watching Meredith to notice the look Andrew and Rose exchanged.

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Before either of them could respond to the alarms, the code team for the hospital had rushed into Mark's room. A nurse quickly ushered George, Izzie, and Derek to the waiting room so they would not have to witness the attempts to revive him. All they could do was wait helplessly. They each sat together lost in their own thoughts. Derek remembered a time not too long ago when he was in the same situation. That was there biggest limitations as surgeons. They were able to save the lives of everyone around them, except those that were closest to them. It was ironic and seemed unfair, but it was reality. Izzie was experiencing the same type of moment, reliving her inability to save Denny while George was remembering his father's recent death and the turmoil his family endured.

Their thoughts were interrupted when Dr. Long entered the room and cleared his throat. "We were able to revive him after three rounds of ACLS. He is still unconscious, but his heart and lungs are in good condition. We will wait and do his brain scan tomorrow when he is more stable."

"Thanks." The group replied relieved he had made it through, but still wondering what his brain function was or if he would ever wake up.

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Meredith lay on her bed staring at the ceiling, dazed and confused. Why did the rug get pulled out from under her every time something seemed to be going right? She had managed to fill Lexie in on what had happened and initially Lexie was ready to run over to the hospital and string Derek up by his balls. But when Meredith had finally cried herself to sleep, she started thinking things through. Lexie had seen firsthand how much he loved Meredith. Why would he do this? Something did not add up. It just did not make sense. She decided Derek and Meredith needed to talk. She was trying to figure out how to accomplish this when the phone rang. "Hello?" She said, grabbing it as quickly as possible to keep from waking Meredith.

"Hey, Lexie? Dr. Williamson said you and Meredith had gone back to the hotel. Can I talk to her?" Derek asked. Lexie could hear the fatigue in his voice.

"Oh, Dr. Shepherd, Meredith just fell asleep a few minutes ago. Do you want me to wake her?" Lexie asked.

"No….no. She needs to rest. Just let her know I am going to spend the night at the hospital. Mark took a turn for the worse this afternoon and he is doing okay right now, but……I just…..I want to be here in case something happens." Derek replied.

Lexie understood the reasoning behind his exhaustion. "I am so sorry. Do you need anything?"

"No, thanks." Derek started. "Izzie and George are here and we are taking turns sitting at his bedside. You are already doing the one thing I need you to do. Just watch out for Meredith, okay? And if she needs me, let me know. Have her call me when she wakes up and tell her I love her."

"I will Derek." Lexie said, her heart breaking at his sincerity. Something was definitely not right, but now was not the time to bring it up to him.

"Thanks, Lexie."

"You're welcome. We will see you soon, okay?"

"Okay."

Yes, Lexie decided. Meredith and Derek needed to talk in person. And soon. She drifted off to sleep as she tried to figure out the best way to accomplish this difficult task.

**OK – please do not kill me…..It is not as bad as it seems. Meredith needs to learn that she can trust Derek and she will (at least in my ****fic****). This is happening for a reason (and not to break them up). Thanks as always for reading and commenting **


	18. Chapter 18

A few hours later, Meredith woke up with a monstrous headache. She groaned in pain, causing Lexie to awaken. "What's wrong?" Lexie asked.

"Just a stress headache." Meredith mumbled.

Lexie got up and grabbed Aspirin and water for Meredith who took it thankfully.

"Hey, Mer?" Lexie began.

"Yeah?" Meredith replied.

"What do you think about maybe…..I mean…..that whole think with Derek is just….weird. It does not add up." Lexie told Meredith about her conversation earlier with Derek. "He seemed genuinely concerned about you."

Meredith sat up quickly. "He has to be so upset right now. Mark is his best friend. I have to go to him. Be there for him. I will discuss all of this with him…but right now…..he needs me to be there for him. I need a ride to the hospital." Meredith said all of this as she got up and headed for the bathroom. "I am going to take a sponge bath and freshen up. Do you think Andrew would mind giving me a ride back to the hospital? He told me he was staying there for the night."

"I will call him and ask." Lexie said as she dialed the number to the hospital so they could locate Dr. Williamson.

"Hello?" Dr. Williamson said not too politely.

"Hi. Dr. Williamson. It's Lexie Grey, Meredith's sister. She wanted me to see if you would mind giving her a ride back to the hospital. She heard about Dr. Sloan and wanted to be there for her friends. Is there any way you could come get her?"

"Uh….yeah….sure." Dr. Williamson said, not at all expecting this to happen. He had to think and fast. Derek and Meredith could not see each other or talk to each other until his plan was finished. "I'll be right there." He had an idea. It was drastic, but drastic times called for drastic measures and there was nothing he would not do to make sure Meredith was his…..his alone.

"Thanks, Dr. Williamson." Lexie said as she hung up the phone. There was something odd about this man, but she was not sure what it was.

Thirty minutes later, Lexie had helped Meredith into Andrew's Hummer SUV and had decided to freshen up herself before walking over to the hospital. She went back up to her room with an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She could not shake it off. Maybe a warm bubble bath would help her relax.

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"Thanks so much for coming to get me, Andrew." Meredith gave him a genuine smile. One that made his heart race.

"You are most welcome. I would do anything for you, Meredith." Andrew said sincerely.

"I……I believe you…..I am sorry…..for everything…..and I hope you do not hate me for leading you on." Meredith stammered.

"Oh, so you still do not want to pursue a relationship with me? Even after you found out about Derek and Rose?" Andrew asked, trying his best to remain calm.

"Derek and I….it is so complicated, but….I need to talk to him before I jump to any conclusions." Meredith replied thoughtfully. "Maybe Rose is delusional." She ended with a slight chuckle. She could not wait to see Derek. It had only been a few hours, but she already missed him. He would be able to tell her exactly what had gone on between him and Rose. Her thoughts were interrupted when she realized they had passed the hospital. Meredith was about to ask him where they were going when they came to a sudden stop.

"Meredith, please do not take this the wrong way, but you really are too trusting sometimes." Andrew replied with a smile.

The meaning of his words were lost on her as she saw his hand and struggled to breathe before falling into darkness.

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Lexie woke up freezing and realized she had fallen asleep in the bathtub. She quickly got out, dried off, and got dressed. She needed to get to the hospital to make sure Meredith and Derek had gotten their chance to talk. If they had, she wanted to know how it went. She looked at the clock on her way out the door and was surprised to see that she had slept for 3 hours. Oh, well, she thought to herself, I must have needed it.

When she arrived at the hospital she took the elevator to the ICU and went to the waiting room to see if anyone was there. George was asleep on the couch and Izzie was staring blankly at a magazine. Neither Derek nor Meredith was in sight. She sat down next to Izzie and put her arms around her in a hug.

Izzie smiled at her sadly. "Thanks, I needed that."

"Has there been any change?" Lexie asked hopefully.

"No…..but at least his heart has not stopped again." Izzie said.

"This has been a weird trip hasn't it?" Lexie replied thoughtfully.

"Yeah, personally, I am ready to be back at SGH."

"Me, too. I never thought I could be tired of snow, but right now I do not care if I ever see it again!"

"Alaska is beautiful, but too remote…….I don't know. I feel trapped here. The weather, lack of transportation…It is just……stifling." Izzie finished contemplatively.

"Yeah, I know what you mean…." Lexie started, but was interrupted when Derek came in the room.

"Hey, Lex." Derek said with a tired smile. "How's Meredith?"

"Wha….what do you mean?" Lexie asked confused and alarmed.

"Last time I talked to you she was sleeping, so I assumed you could give me an update." Derek looked at her confused as well.

"But, she……I mean……she's here….she was coming here….to see you." Lexie said as panic began to set in.

"What do you mean she's here? Where is she, Lexie?!" Derek could not keep the fear from showing in his voice and eyes as they darkened.

"The last time I saw her was…..about 4 hours ago." Lexie began trying not to cry. George had woken up and now all three of them were watching her. "Andrew was giving her a ride to the hospital. She wanted to check on you, Derek. She……she wanted to talk to you."

Derek was ready to snap. "We have to find her. Page Dr. Williamson NOW!"

Lexie did as she was told and they all anxiously awaited his call back. Derek's phone rang a few minutes later. "Hello?" Derek asked as he picked up the phone.

"Yes, this is Dr. Williamson. I was paged to this number."

"Dr. Williamson, this is Derek Shepherd." Derek started.

"Oh, hi, Derek. How is Mark doing?"

"The same." Derek did not have time for small talk. "Lexie said you were going to give Meredith a ride to the hospital. Do you know where she is?"

"Oh, Meredith." Andrew was enjoying this. He knew why Derek had called. "I dropped her off hours ago at the front of the hospital. She insisted I go home and get sleep. I believe she was coming to see you and check on Mark. I have not seen her since." He added with a smirk, that Derek could not see.

"You let her come in the hospital by herself?!" Derek asked not believing him for a minute.

"She's a big girl. She can take care of herself."

"She has a broken leg! She had no business walking that far!" Derek was mad. He knew he had no real right to yell at Andrew, but he was worried and this man had always rubbed him the wrong way, so he was having a hard time keeping his emotions in check.

"Well, Derek, I am sure she is there somewhere. Maybe she just does not want to see YOU!" Andrew said as he hung up the phone.

This would have sent Derek over the edge accept he looked up to see 3 pairs of eyes staring at him. "Ok. Dr. Williamson says that he dropped her off here a few hours ago. Let's check the hospital. I will start near the entrance and work my way to here. George, you notify security. Izzie, you check the female bathrooms and locker rooms. Lexie, you stay here in case she shows up or the nurses come looking for us for Mark. OK?" All three nodded their heads and agreement and did as Derek instructed. Lexie had a sinking feeling that they were not going to find her in the hospital. She was starting to think Andrew was behind her disappearance. Now she just needed a way to prove it.

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Meredith was falling. Or at least it felt like she was falling. She was not sure why but her eyelids were heavy. So heavy. Where was she? Not sure she knew. The last thing she remembered was…darkness. Now, all she felt was cold….yes….definitely cold. She could feel her body shivering. Why could she not open her eyes? The surface beneath her was cold, but soft. She groaned in frustration, but all she got in return was an echo of her own noise. Her eyes….they were slowly starting to open. Slowly. Ok. They were open, now she had to focus. Focus. She could see nothing. Nothing but darkness. Maybe if she rubbed her eyes it would help. She tried to move her hands, but her arms felt heavy. Immovable. What was wrong with her? Then she remembered something. Andrew and falling. Falling into darkness.

Had they been in a car accident? If so where was he? What had he said to her? Something about trust? And then was it his hand? Yes, definitely his hand with something in it. Something that smelled like….she could not quite place the smell, but it was awful. He placed his hand with a cloth up to her face. Yes, that was it. But why? She felt….drugged. Yes, that was it! She was definitely drugged. She had not experienced much of this feeling in her life. Alcohol had always been her drug of choice, specifically tequila. Why would Andrew drug her? Where would he take her? Why? Her thoughts could not make sense of the situation. She tried to shake her head to clear her head and instead felt more dizzy. A headache. She definitely had a headache. A dull, throbbing ache. Her head felt like a lead ball. Heavy and full.

She heard a noise. Or did she? She was starting to think her mind was playing tricks on her. Then she heard it again. Was it a door? Yes, definitely a door creaking open. She could even see a small amount of light now. At least she knew she was not blind. Then she heard footsteps coming towards her and her eyes hurt when a light was turned on. Her eyes were not prepared for that and she had to shut them temporarily to give them a chance to adjust. When she opened her eyes again she was able to see him. Standing over her. Staring at her. Andrew. But this…..this was not the Andrew she knew. His eyes looked….wild…..irrational. Definitely not friendly. Meredith was scared. She had put herself at risk with one night stands before, but never in a situation did she not feel like she could handle it if she needed to. She knew all the moves to incapacitate a man. But this…..she was drugged and could barely open her eyes, much less use her arms or good leg as a weapon. She was slowly moving from scared to terrified.

"Hey, there, love." Andrew said with a menacing smile. "I hope you like your surroundings. I have a wonderful evening planned for us tonight. A night you will never forget. Nor will I." He leaned over a kissed her lips softly. "It is really a shame that my original plans did not work out. Meredith if you had just cooperated and given up on Derek and given me a chance……well, let's just say things would not have needed to get ugly. I truly love you with every fiber of my being, but I do not tolerate the women I love being in love with other men. It is despicable. I could have given you everything you ever wanted, Meredith. Too bad you did not give me a chance to show it to you. Now well, just know that I do not allow something that is mine to leave me. And you would, Meredith. You would leave me. So now I have to do something I really did not want to do. Please understand I did not want to do this. But you leave me no choice." With that he quickly turned away and said, "Do not worry, love. I will be back soon."

Meredith was terrified. She knew she had to get her strength back and fast if she wanted a fighting chance to survive whatever this mad man had planned. Her mind screamed for Derek, begging him in her mind to be able to hear her. "Please help me…..please!" She kept trying to channel him until exhaustion got the best of her and everything once again went black.

**So Derek is worried (love worried Derek). Yes, Andrew is nuts. Literally. It will soon be his downfall (thankfully). I have always found it odd that Meredith is so distrusting of people she knows (understandably with her upbringing), yet she has a history of bringing strangers she meets in bars to her home. It is an oxymoron in a way. I am also amazed by her strength. She is stronger than anyone realizes and gives her credit for...That is coming in to play in the next few updates. Anyway, I am updating daily, so it will not be a long wait to find out what happens (and I do promise – NOTHING graphic). I am not a fan of those types of ****fics and that is not what this fic is really about...it is about bringing Mer/Der back stronger than ever. Thank for the reading and commenting. :)**


	19. Chapter 19

Derek was checking every room he came to, but he was quickly losing hope that she was in the hospital. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He sensed Meredith was in danger, but he had no idea where to look for her. He was deep in thought when he walked into an on call room and saw a small figure lying on the bed. He had to get closer to see if it was Meredith. He decided to turn on the small lamp which woke up a sleeping Rose. "Oh, sorry Rose." Derek mumbled disappointed that it was not Meredith.

"Hey honey. I am so glad you are back! I missed you!" Rose sat up quickly and went to hug Derek, but he pulled away. "Rose, we have to talk, but now is not a good time. It seems something has happened to Meredith. No one can find her anywhere. Do you mind helping us look for her?"

Rose was afraid all of a sudden. Had Andrew not stuck to the plan? He was not supposed to hurt her. That was not the deal. Should she say something to Derek? No, she decided. There was not any proof that Andrew had done anything anyway. She smiled back up at Derek. "I'd be happy to help you look for her."

"Thanks, Rose" Derek said and offered his hand to her to help her stand up. His smile turned to a frown and his eyes darkened with more concern and confusion when he saw her hand. "Rose?"

"Yes, Derek?"

"Why are you wearing your engagement ring?"

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Meredith could feel she was moving. She opened her eyes more easily this time and realized she was in the backseat of Andrew's Hummer. The road was bumpy. She could hear him singing in the driver seat to the song "Endless Love" that was playing on the radio. Or was it a CD? She really did not know. Where was he taking her? She knew she was in serious trouble, but was thankful that her mind seemed clearer than before. She tried moving her arms and realized she was tied up with her arms behind her back. He had not bothered with her legs which she could understand. After all, she could barely walk, let alone run anywhere. She also noticed she was in different clothes. He had changed her into a black dress. When did that happen? What else had he done to her when she was unconscious? She choked back tears. She would not let this bastard see that he was getting to her. No matter what.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the vehicle stopped and Andrew looked at her through the rearview mirror. "Welcome home, honey." He said and let out an evil laugh.

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Derek, Rose, Izzie, George, and Lexie had gathered back in the waiting room along with security and Dr. Long. The hospital had been searched thoroughly and no one had seen any signs of Meredith. Everyone was trying to keep a brave face on, but they all knew something was seriously wrong. And they all suspected Dr. Andrew Williamson was involved in her disappearance.

"It is obvious she is not here." Dr. Long started. "I have put in several calls to Dr. Williamson and he has not returned them. I am worried about him now as well. The police have been dispatched to his home to find out where he is and why he is not responding to my calls."

"If he has her, he would not keep her at his home," Derek said trying his best to keep his emotions in check. "He knows that is the first place anyone would look." He dropped his head into his hands as he felt the tears start to fall. How could this happen? They had just started working on things and now….he had no idea where she was…..if she was safe……or hurt…….or……. His thoughts would not let him go any further…..Life would not exist without her…..could not. She was his world. He loves her more than anything……anything. He would gladly take her place if he could….If only he could.

Rose sat by his side, but she was lost in her own turmoil. What had she done? She had no idea that Dr. Williamson was a mad man. She simply thought Meredith would see her ring and decide to give Andrew another chance. She did not expect him to do anything to harm her. She knew she had to tell Derek the truth, even if it meant losing him which it inevitably would, but at the moment, it seemed pointless. They knew Andrew had her. She had no other information that would help them find Meredith. To make herself feel better, she reasoned that Andrew would have done something like this even without her help. Deep down, she knew she had played her part in it, and the thought disgusted her.

Lexie was dealing with guilt of her own. She had a feeling about Dr. Williamson from the start. Why had she let Meredith leave with him alone? She should have gone with her. Or made her stay at the hotel and call Derek. Or…..the possibilities seemed endless now. She started sobbing uncontrollably and George brought her head to his chest to sooth her while she cried. "It will be ok Lexie. Meredith…..she, she's tough…..she has survived worse than this. She…..she has to be…..ok." George finished as tears welled up in his eyes and threatened to fall.

Izzie excused herself and went to sit by Mark's bedside. She could not handle standing around doing nothing. At least she could feel useful by talking to Mark. She was not sure if he could hear her, but just in case, she wanted him to know how she felt about him…..and Meredith's disappearance….everything.

As soon as Izzie left, Dr. Long's cell phone rang. "This is Dr. Long." He listened for a few minutes and then said, "Well, on his weekends off he has a remote cabin south of here that he likes to relax at. I have only been there once and I did not stay long. He values his privacy, so I have always respected it." Dr. Long listened a few more minutes. "I…I think…I could…maybe get you there. Ok. I will meet you at the front of the hospital."

As Dr. Long hung up the phone, Derek jumped up. "I am going with you." Dr. Long could see by the way the young man's jaw was set and the determination in his eyes that he was not going to be deterred. Instead of arguing with him and wasting more time, he nodded his head in agreement. Derek looked up at Lexie as he grabbed his jacket and started for the door. "Lex?" Lexie looked up at him through her tears. "We are going to find her, I promise." He said this as much to convince himself as to convince Meredith's sister. Lexie nodded her head as Derek turned and continued out the door before burying her head back in George's chest and continuing to sob. She prayed he was right.

Dr. Long and Derek met the police chief along with three other police cars at the front of the hospital. "You are going to need more than cars to get where we are going." Dr. Long told them. He had security bring up his SUV and the chief quickly called for backup for the mountainous terrain. He jumped in the SUV with Derek and Dr. Long and told the other police officers to call him when their vehicles arrived so he could direct them on how to get to the cabin. Derek sighed in frustration at the lack of forethought on the part of the police department, but slightly relieved when the SUV started going as Dr. Long took off.

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Meredith had never remembered being more afraid than she was at this moment. He had her in a room with an open, empty casket. Red roses were everywhere. He had pictures he must have taken of her at the hospital posted in a frame that said, "In Memory of." He had tied her to a chair and told her he would not be long before walking outside. The song she had come to despise in a short period of time was set on repeat and kept playing through the Ipod in the room. She frantically searched the room for something….anything she could use as a weapon, but realized he had been very meticulous in his planning. She was starting to think he had done this before.

He returned a short time later unbeknownst to Meredith, and watched her from the doorway. It really was a shame, he thought to himself. She is so beautiful, so smart, so sexy. The total package. Too bad she did not realize what she could have had. He started towards her and she looked up, hearing him approach. "Are you ready for your surprise?" He asked gleefully.

"I…..Andrew…..we…..should talk about this, you know?" Meredith was trying to find a way to stall him, because she knew that whatever he had planned…..was not good.

"Now Meredith, you had your chance to talk and you had your chance to make a decision. Unfortunately for you, you did not choose correctly." Andrew moved closer to her, admiring her beauty.

"But, I….I realize that…..I…..chose…..wrong. Please, Andrew. Please…..give me another chance." Meredith was begging and she was ashamed, but at this moment she would do anything to make this man believe she was truly sorry.

"Meredith, dear Meredith, there are consequences to our actions. If I let you go unpunished this time, who is to say you would not do it again?" Andrew was not falling for it at all. "Although, maybe there is one thing you could do to make it up to me." Andrew decided that even though he was going to kill her, he was in no hurry and may even be able to have a little enjoyment of his own before he did take her life.

"Wh….what?" Meredith asked, not knowing if she really wanted to know the answer.

"Let me show you my room." Andrew answered with a wicked smile. He went to untie her from the chair and easily carried her to his bedroom. He quickly retied her hands and stepped back to admire her beauty. "Now, give me a few minutes to freshen up and we will have a little celebration of our own." With that Andrew left the room and Meredith was left to agonize over what she knew was to come.

She heard a shower start and realized that she may have a little time. She worked her way to the end of the bed and was able to sit up when her legs started dangling. She knew her only chance would be to find something to use as a weapon. What could she use? She hobbled over to his dresser and started rummaging through his drawers. Starting to feel hopeless as she used her bound up hands to search through his clothes, she stopped when she felt something sharp. Her hands closed around a letter opener. It was not much, but if she stabbed him in the right place, it could be deadly. She shuddered at the thought of killing anyone. That is not what surgeons did. They saved lives. But she realized she was saving a life……hers. She quickly closed the drawer and started back towards the bed when she heard the shower turn off, hiding the weapon in between her hands.

**What an inner battle for Meredith. She has taken an oath to help save others and now she is torn. She knows she has to incapacitate him in order to survive. Derek is going crazy as we know he would. He is a control freak of sorts and does not like this being out of his hands. Thanks for reading and commenting! Tomorrow's update? The rescue :) (I may update it today if there are comments! (How is that for begging? LOL) **


	20. Chapter 20

Derek was starting to wonder if Dr. Long knew where he was going. They were driving through what resembled more of a trail than a road and it was so rough Derek had to hold on to the handle above him to keep from hitting his head on the roof every time they hit a bump. It seemed to be taking forever and he was ready to explode. He wanted to be there now. Now. Meredith needed him now. Or actually earlier….but also now. "How much further?" Derek asked forcing himself to stop with his irrational thoughts.

"I am not exactly sure, but it should not be much longer." Dr. Long stated keeping his focus on the road.

"Would it be quicker on foot?" Derek asked impatiently.

"Uh, yeah, I guess it could be." Dr. Long glanced sideways at Derek, seeing the man in emotional distress. "Plus then he would not hear us coming."

"I think we have our decision, then." The police chief added as Dr. Long stopped the vehicle. He grabbed a flashlight out his glove compartment as the other two men jumped out of the SUV. They continued on foot in silence. Not much time passed before Derek caught sight of a light ahead.

"It is up ahead." Dr. Long saw the light when Derek did.

Derek did not need any other encouragement. He started running towards the light, trying to keep from tripping over branches and rocks along his way. The men were calling after him, but he did not care. He had to find her. He had to help her. He approached the cabin and cautiously walked up to the door. He noticed that not only was it not locked, but it was slightly ajar as well. Without further hesitation he opened the door and quietly walked in. He almost lost it at the sight of the casket and pictures of Meredith….his Meredith. He quickly composed himself and started looking around. Why was it so quiet? Where were they? That is when he heard the scream coming from upstairs.

He was up the stairs in a flash and heading towards the room. When he opened the door, he saw Dr. Williamson on top of Meredith with his hands around her neck and blood everywhere. He could not tell where it was coming from, but did not wait to find out. Instantly he had shoved Andrew off of Meredith and started hitting him with every ounce of energy he had. Andrew was not going down without a fight, but was weakened by the wound to the chest he had gotten when Meredith stabbed him. That had been the last straw for him. He was not going to put up with her anymore. She had to die. He was no match for Derek, though. One final blow from him had Andrew unconscious on the floor.

Derek quickly went over to Meredith who was looking up at him crying. "Mer, baby, are you ok?" He wept at the sight of her, partially because she looked so scared and partially because she was found and alive. He touched her face with his fingertips, wiping her tears away, so grateful to be able to touch that beautiful face.

"I….I think…..I …….Derek……I….so glad……to see you." Meredith managed to get out. Her throat was just beginning to open up since Andrew had been strangling her so she had just managed to catch her breath.

Derek kissed her lips quickly and started untying her hands. "Are you hurt, baby?"

"I….not…..no…..not bad" Meredith said as he finished untying her hands and drew her up into his arms. She breathed her first sigh of relief in what seemed like forever. She could relax. She was safe. "I love you, Derek. " She whispered in between sobs.

"I love you so much. So much…." Derek replied through his tears. He kissed her forehead and continued to hold her. He never wanted to let go. Ever. And she was in no hurry to let go either. She clung to him so tightly he had to work to catch his breath. He did not care. They sat together in each other's arms until Dr. Long and the police chief arrived.

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Andrew Williamson was treated for his injuries and placed under arrest. The police did a thorough investigation of his cabin and found a graveyard in the back with six gravestones. Meredith's would have been the seventh. He had already dug the hole to place her coffin in. The bodies of the surgeons that had left Bethel PHS Hospital suddenly without notification were found. Dr. Long was shocked and horrified as he claimed to have no idea that his star cardiothoracic surgeon was capable of murder. The police chief told Derek and Meredith that they would definitely seek the death penalty for him.

After being thoroughly evaluated at the hospital for injuries, Meredith was taken to the police station to give a full report of what had transpired. Derek remained by her side throughout the entire ordeal. She was still in shock and somewhat numb from the whole experience, so she told the events that she remembered without hesitation or emotion. When she went into detail about Andrew's plans and words to her, Derek broke down and wept. He was there to comfort Meredith and she ended up comforting him. When Derek thought of how close he had come to losing her…..He wanted two minutes alone with the guy. Two minutes. He would torture him in the most despicable ways he could think of and make sure he never laid his hands on anyone ever again.

The police chief seemed to read his thoughts when he looked at Derek and said, "He will get the death penalty or at least life in prison without parole. We will make sure he has a suitable roommate to provide him with opportunities to receive the type of torture he bestowed upon his victims. His days of hurting others are over, regardless of his sentence. And he can never come near Meredith again."

Derek nodded and gave the chief a thankful look at his comments. When Meredith had finished her story and signed the necessary documents, the police gave them a ride back to the hotel. Lexie and George were at the hotel to greet them and both cried for joy when they saw her. Izzie remained at Mark's bed side but sent her love and a hug. Derek took Meredith to his room and Lexie brought her belongings over.

Meredith was exhausted but insisted on bathing. She felt dirty, remembering Andrew's hands and mouth on her. The thought made her shudder. She did not explain this to Derek as she knew it would make him more upset. Derek who wanted nothing more than to curl up with her and go to sleep finally agreed when he saw she was not going to back down. He went and ran a bubble bath for her and helped her get undressed and in the tub while keeping her broken leg propped up out of the water. When she was comfortable he left her alone for a few minutes to get ready for bed himself.

When he came back to check on her, he found her in tears. Before he could ask, she looked up at him. She could not hold it in any longer. She stared at the water and said, "I am so dirty, Derek. I cannot get clean, no matter how hard I try. He did not get a chance to rape me, at least not that I remember, but he was going to. His mouth was kissing me, his hands were……" she trailed off, closing her eyes as the memory overtook her and made her shudder.

The thought of this man touching anything of Meredith's was enough to make him sick, but he rebounded quickly. He had to be there for her. Derek grabbed her face with his hands to get her attention. When she opened her eyes she saw his deep pools of blue staring back at her with more love and adoration than she ever remembered. "Meredith, look at me." She obeyed. "You had no control over what that ass did to you or tried to do to you. You were drugged. You were taken against your will. You are not dirty. You are my beautiful, clean, lavender scented Meredith. Everything about you is incredible. You are strong and you are a fighter. He cannot take anything from you. You are still you, no matter what that bastard did to you." Meredith was crying at the beautiful words of her incredible man. In the midst of her turmoil she realized how lucky she was to have someone who loved her so much. Derek finished his praise by kissing her softly, tenderly, lovingly on the lips. She felt better. He always made her feel better.

"Thank you." She whispered to him.

"Anytime." He whispered back then added with his classic smirk. "I could go on and on about how wonderful my girlfriend is. Anytime you want to know, all you have to do is ask. Just know that you will also probably have to shut me up……Now, are you ready to get out?"

"Yes, I am ready." Meredith said as she attempted to stand up with his support. He gently dried her off with a towel trying to keep his calm, relaxed demeanor when he saw bruises and cuts all over her body. She did not seem to notice them and he was grateful for that. She was on pain medication for her leg, so he imagined it was keeping her from feeling sore everywhere else also. He intentionally kept her facing away from the mirror, instinctively knowing what it would do to her. When she was dry, he helped her put on her pajama bottoms and Dartmouth t-shirt. He combed her hair out. It was wet, but she was quickly losing steam and he knew she needed sleep. One night of sleeping with a wet head would have to be okay. He picked her up and carried her to the bed. She was too tired to argue with him. After laying her down he jumped in bed beside her and covered them both up. She snuggled as close to him as she could and put her head on his chest, right over his heart. She loved to hear his heartbeat. It always lulled her to sleep. He drew her into his arms and decided that he was going to visit that bastard before they discharged him from the hospital. He had some unfinished business with Andrew. They both fell into a deep dreamless sleep content to be together.

**I do not take violence including rape lightly. This ****fic**** is not about either topics, but it was touched upon. Everyone has been touched personally with some form of violence whether personally or through those close to you. I do not wish to rehash bad memories or to try to emulate what anyone has experienced. Each act is separate, with defining moments and healing processes for each. The point of this was to bring ****Mer****Der**** closer together than ever. To teach them to lean on each other and support each other……Thanks as always for reading and commenting. I loved all the comments on the last chapter. Comments let me know you are reading:) **


	21. Chapter 21

Derek woke early the next morning. He did not want to disturb Meredith. She had woken up once during the night in pain and he had given her pain medication and held her until she fell back asleep. He knew she needed her rest. He called Lexie who agreed to stay with her so he could go to the hospital. By the time he showered, Lexie had arrived. He quietly showed her where the pain medication was and told her to call him if Meredith needed anything.

"I will not be gone long. I just want to check on Mark." Derek said. "Thanks for doing this Lexie." He did not feel it was necessary to let her know that he also planned on a visit to another patient in the hospital.

"No problem, Dr. Shepherd." Lexie replied, happy to know Meredith had someone who obviously cared for her so deeply.

"My name is Derek outside of the hospital, okay?"

"Okay, Derek. I promise to take care of her." Lexie added as Derek walked out the door with a smile on his face. Seeing Meredith and Lexie bond, even though it had been a slow, painful process, warmed his heart. Meredith needed family. She deserved family. Family that cared for her and treated her the way she deserved to be treated. Seeing Lexie in such distress when Meredith was missing yesterday had shown him just how much she cared for her sister.

He decided to walk to the hospital since it was only a block away. He went to ICU first to check on his friend. Mark's condition remained unchanged and Izzie was still by his bedside.

"Morning, Iz" Derek said as he walked in the room. "How are you holding up?"

"Tired, but okay. How is Meredith?" Izzie felt bad that she had not been there for her friend, but knew she would understand and probably would not have wanted too many people around anyway.

"She is sore and tired, but resting well." Derek said. "I appreciate you staying with Mark so I could take care of her. It makes me feel better to know that he has you by his side. Have you slept at all?"

"I have napped on and off. The nurses brought me a pillow and blanket and I reclined in the chair."

"Why don't you take a break and I will sit with him for awhile?" Derek could see Izzie needed to get out for a bit.

"Are you sure? Who is with Meredith?" Izzie asked. She kept glancing at Mark, not wanting to leave his side, but knowing that she needed a break.

"Lexie is with her. She was still asleep when I left. Go get something to eat and drink and take some time for you. I will sit with him for awhile." Derek sat down in the chair next to Mark and studied his friend.

"Thanks, Derek. You will notify me if there is any change?" Izzie asked.

"You will be the first person I contact, I promise." Derek gave her a smile. It was sweet to see someone care so much for Mark. He just hoped Mark returned her affections. He looked down at his friend as Izzie left and sighed. The weight of everything that had happened over the past few days was starting to hit him. He wanted, no needed Mark to wake up. They were best friends and though they had been through their share of troubled times and they did not always agree on choices each of them made, he knew they would always be lifelong friends.

As a neurosurgeon, he knew that even when people were comatose they often heard what was going on in their hospital surroundings. He decided to talk to his friend, even though he could not respond at present. He chuckled to himself when he realized he really did not want him to respond. "You know how I told you to enjoy the journey…..that it is not always about the destination? Well, I realized that I was doing the exact same thing….I was so focused on getting the future that I want, that I stopped enjoying what I had in the present. I stopped focusing on building my relationship with my soul mate. I was more concerned with building a house. I focused more on the dream and lost track of the fact that the dream is nothing without the woman I love…….Meredith." He smiled as he said her name. The sound of her name always made him smile. "She is it for me, you know? I am going to develop my relationship with her……at whatever pace she is comfortable with….because she…..well, she makes my life worth living….with or without a house and marriage and kids. But I really believe those things will come. First I have to regain her trust. I have to be there for her…..even if she tries to push me away. I won't let her this time. I love her so much. Hurting her was the worst mistake of my life. I am no better than her mom or dad was to her. But I am going to show her that true love can make it through anything…..and that she deserves to be happy…..and loved." Derek choked back tears and he looked at his friend. "You deserve that too, you know. I know of a certain woman who seems to care a great deal for you. Maybe it is time for you to stop chasing after your latest conquest and start going for what is real. I know you have it in you, man. I have seen it. You loved Addison. Really loved her. More than I ever did. I know that things will never work out for you two but…..I hope you will give love a second chance. A real chance. Of course, first you have to wake up. I know you will lecture me about my reunion with the girl who is still an intern in your book, but I can take it. You can lecture me about her and then I will give you grief about Izzie. That is what we do. You're my brother…..you helped me grow up in the midst of four hormonal sisters. I survived that because of you! I would have drowned in estrogen without your support. I still need your support. And I promise you have mine."

Derek was tired of sitting so he stood up and walked to the window, watching the clouds roll in again. It looked like another snowstorm was getting ready to begin. He was glad they did not live here. Too much snow and darkness for his liking. Rain was cleansing. He enjoyed the rain. It always seemed to renew the earth and his spirits. Washed away old scars and hurts and brought a sense of freshness. Snow seemed, well, like an obstacle. It never had a chance to disappear before it came falling down again. It covered the terrain and hid the scars of the earth, not allowing them time to heal or renew.

"You always were a daydreamer." Derek was interrupted from his thoughts by a voice that made his heart leap for joy. He turned around to see his best friend studying him with amusement.

"Yeah and you were always the smartass." Derek laughed as he approached his friend. "How are you feeling?"

"Not bad….I don't think…..I mean, I am not hurting anywhere. Damn….." Mark stopped suddenly.

"What? What's wrong?" Derek asked, trying not to panic.

"I will never live this down, I swear."

"What?"

"George O'Malley saved my life. George. Stuttering, stumbling, rambling George. Not exactly what you would call your typical hero." Mark laughed the more he thought about it.

"Yeah, well, it could have been worse. It could have been Abigail." Derek retorted. They both laughed aloud at the thought of the petite woman pulling him out of the water and carrying him to safety.

"Izzie…..is she….I mean" Mark started and felt embarrassed when he did not know how to continue his question.

"Do you want to see her?" Derek asked with a smirk on his face. He was realizing that his friend had already fallen harder than he would admit.

"I, well…..yeah….if she wants to see me." Mark replied, quickly regaining his confidence and ending with, "but of course I know she wants to see me. I mean, what woman doesn't?"

"I will call her." Derek smiled as he left the room. He also needed to notify Dr. Long who would be ecstatic to see Mark awake and alert. He quickly had the nurse page Dr. Long and called Izzie on her cell phone.

Izzie answered on the first ring. "What is it? How is he?" Derek could tell she was in a state of panic.

"Relax Izzie. I just need you to come back to the ICU when you get a chance. Someone here wants to speak to you." Derek replied and before he could say anything else, he realized Izzie had hung up the phone.

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Meredith was hurting. She was dreaming. Or was she remembering? No, she was definitely remembering. Remembering what Andrew had put her through. Remembering things he said. Remembering things he did. She was screaming. She wanted to wake up from her nightmare but did not know how. She was still halfway asleep but she still felt the pain. An unbelievable amount of pain. She started to moan, as she woke up. Lexie was shaking her and trying to wake her up. The pain was intense. It was all over her body. She felt like someone had beaten her up. Then she remembered what had happened. She opened her eyes to make sure she was back at the hotel and not still trapped in Andrew's cabin. She noticed the space that Derek occupied right next to her was empty and cold. Where was he? "Lexie? Where's Derek?" Meredith asked as she tried to sit up but quickly lay back down due to the pain.

"He went to the hospital to check on Mark, but should be back soon. He told me to call him if you needed anything and he would come right back. Do you want to call him?" Lexie asked, anxious to do whatever her sister needed. She could tell Meredith was upset and figured Derek would be able to calm her like no one else could.

"No, I just…..I….hurt." Meredith said, trying to fight back tears.

"I can give you pain medication, but Derek could probably help to, so let me call him." Lexie grabbed her phone and the pain medication.

"No, Lexie, it is okay. He will be back soon. I really. I just…..I need a woman to talk to. Derek is great, but he wants to fix everything, and he cannot fix this. I have to work through what happened to me. I need to talk about it but some of the things I need to share will break Derek's heart. Can I talk to you?"

"Of course." Lexie was honored that Meredith would talk to her about anything.

Meredith sat up with Lexie's help. Lexie gave her a drink which she accepted gratefully.

"You seemed to be having a nightmare." Lexie looked at Meredith questioningly.

"It was, but unfortunately….it was real. I was remembering things that happened to me….." Meredith stopped as the memories started to overtake her again. She took a deep breath and regained her composure.

Lexie sat down beside her sister and put her arm around her to offer her support. Together the sisters bonded as one told her tale of terror and pain while the other comforted her and joined her in tears of sorrow.


	22. Chapter 22

Izzie did not remember the last time she had felt so……overcome with happiness and peace. Seeing Mark awake and his welcoming smile when she walked in the room made her heart stop. She quickly went to his side and when he grabbed her hand, she knew. She knew he had feelings for her too. She leaned down to kiss him and he happily joined her in a sweet, but passion filled lip lock.

Derek became uncomfortable and decided it was time to be excused so he could attend to unfinished business. "Uh….I'll just…..leave you two alone." He mumbled more to himself than to the couple who were now staring at each other like they had not seen the other in years. He walked out the door and decided it was time to find out which room Andrew was in.

The couple did not even hear Derek leave. "How are you feeling?" Izzie managed to whisper.

"Better now. Definitely better now." Mark replied. "Izzie, thank you. For staying with me, keeping me company. I know you were with me the whole night. I felt your presence. I do not remember everything you said……but I know you were here."

Izzie was amazed that he knew she had been there, but thrilled that he was pleased. "Anytime, Mark. I…I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You…..you are…..a great guy. Even with the ego." She stated with a laugh.

He gave his classic smirk to her and said, "You have a thing for men with egos, huh?"

"Not normally, but…..this time, I think I do." Izzie smiled back at him and leaned in to give him another kiss.

"Good because, I have this thing for blondes by the name of Izzie."

"Do you now? That is funny; I thought you had a thing for any woman with boobs and a vagina." Izzie was halfway teasing, but also a little nervous, knowing Mark's reputation well.

"Well I have had my share of women, but there is something different about you that I am attracted to….not that I am no turned on by your boobs and by the fact that you have a vagina, but…..you have a.. spirit about you….one that is good and pure and whole. You are beautiful inside and out, and I want to get to know the woman inside better, if that is okay with you." Mark said, feeling a little nervous himself. This was not like him, and it made him uncomfortable. Mark Sloan was not nervous around women.

"That would be nice. I am open to that……on one condition." Izzie replied.

"What is that?"

"If you get the urge to scratch your itch elsewhere, just tell me and I will let you go." Izzie was serious. She liked him but did not want to be with someone if they no longer wanted her.

"I…..okay." Mark said. He honestly could not imagine wanting anyone after this woman, but he also knew himself well enough to know that to argue that point would be futile. He needed to prove it to her but even more to himself.

"Okay, then." Izzie smiled and leaned down for another kiss.

"Okay, then." Mark murmured in agreement as their lips met in a blissful, hopeful kiss.

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Derek quickly made his way to Room 3354 where he had found out Andrew was staying. He saw the police officer by the door and walked up to him. "I need to speak to Dr. Williamson for a few minutes."

"That is not a problem Dr. Shepherd. He is being discharged today and will be going straight to prison." The officer started to follow Derek into the room, but Derek gave him a look that told him Derek wanted time alone with Andrew. He knew this was not technically allowed, but did not want to enrage the physician any more than he already was. Part of him wanted Andrew to get what was coming to him anyway. He returned to his seat outside of the hospital room and said, "Let me know if you need anything" to Derek's back as he entered the room. Derek heard him but knew he did not need his assistance.

When he walked in he noticed Andrew was handcuffed to the bed. He was sleeping soundly, but Derek made sure that did not last. "Wake up you bd!!" Derek shoved his arm so hard that the handcuffs tightened to the point where Andrew's hand started turning red from lack of circulation. Andrew woke up immediately and knew he was in trouble when he saw the look of pure hatred on Derek's face. He remembered all too well the beating he had received the night before from this man. Immediately, he tried to reach for the nurse call button, but Derek beat him to it and put it out of his reach. "No one can save you from me now." Derek said with an evil smirk.

"What do you want from me?" Andrew asked him, regaining his composure. He would not let Derek Shepherd intimidate him. No matter what he did. "I am going to prison; I am handcuffed and laying here like an invalid. What more do you want?!" He stared back at Derek menacingly. "Oh, maybe you want me to tell you about all of the wonderful things I did with your girlfriend….." He was going to be vicious. "But, is she your girlfriend, really? Because last I heard you are engaged to Rose."

"What the hell are you talking about?! Are you making up lies about me being engaged to that plant to upset Meredith?!" Derek was ready to smack his face in, but confused as to where the whole engagement thing came in to play. Plus he remembered Rose wearing her engagement ring yesterday and she never explained why she had it on. Things were starting to add up and he did not like what he was seeing.

"You are engaged to Rose. She showed me the ring herself. That is all she talked about all weekend. The perfect wedding you two would have, the house, the kids. I was in surgery with her for hours. Trust me, I heard the whole story." Andrew knew he was going down, but he was determined to take Rose with him.

"She….what?!" Derek was confused, horrified, and pissed. He put his fist down briefly to contemplate what Andrew had just said. It made sense. Rose was wearing her ring. Why would she do that? Then he considered his source.

"You think I am going to believe anything you have to say?! Really, do you asshole?" Derek was livid. "You almost killed the woman that means more to me than anything and you are trying to pin this on Rose? If I knew that I would not spend the rest of my life in prison and separated from Meredith, I would torture you in the worst ways imaginable and watch you die. The only comfort I have is in knowing she will never have to see your ugly a face again." Derek went to punch Andrew but stopped quickly when he started laughing. Andrew was laughing a crazed, insane laugh that made Derek nauseous.

"You think she will never see my face again?! Do you really?!" Andrew was trying to control his laughter so he could continue his taunt with Derek. "She will never forget me or my face! I will haunt her dreams for the rest of her life…….She will never forget all the things I did to her. Never! You cannot take that away from her or me….no matter how hard you try! Get a life, hero, because some things are not savable!" He was cackling now, but not for long.

"She is…..the most incredible, beautiful, loving woman on the planet and you tried to destroy her. But you are wrong about her. She is strong. She is the strongest person I know. This will not destroy her. She will be even stronger because of you. She will heal from all the hell you put her through and I will help her you self-centered, crazy, BD!!!!!!" This time Derek drew back and punched Andrew square on the nose. Again and again. All over his face, his chest, anywhere he could. Fast, furious punches. Andrew felt like a punching bag. He did not ever remember experiencing the type of pain Derek was inflicting and he knew he had gone too far. He had pushed Derek over the edge. Derek was not going to stop. Andrew yelped in pain but could not reach up to block any of Derek's punches. The officer came in knowing he needed to put a stop to it.

"Dr. Shepherd, sir." The officer tried to be polite at first, but realized that Derek was out of control. He knew he would not listen to reason. The officer quickly drew out his gun and quickly fired a shot. One shot is all it took. Derek was no longer punching Andrew. He stopped and stared at Andrew and then at his hands, covered in Andrew's blood. Andrew was not moving.

Derek looked up at the officer who quickly grabbed him by the arm. "Sir, I think you need to leave. I am sure I attracted attention with the gunshot just now. If they see that you did this to him, well, I am sure you will be arrested. Let's get you cleaned up."

Before Derek could respond, the officer gently led him out of the room and to a men's bathroom across the hall. He helped Derek clean the blood off of his fists. He then looked at Derek and said, "Are you okay?"

"I….I…..I don't…..know. I need to see if he is still…..alive." Derek remained in a state of shock. He had never been one to take a life, his job had always been to save them.

The officer nodded understandingly at Derek. "Okay, we can go to the waiting room until they are finished working on him. I know Dr. Long and several nurses are in his room treating him." The officer had seen them enter as he led Derek to the bathroom. He had given Dr. Long a look that was quickly understood by the two men.

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Inside the room Dr. Long was working frantically to stop the bleeding. He could not believe the events of the past few weeks. It had seemed like such a good idea to gain the help of a few surgeons until he could recruit new staff members, but never in his wildest dreams would he have thought so much could go wrong in such a short time. He could not help but realize that the true culprit of all of this was the man lying in the bed looking like he had been run over by a truck. Dr. Long had always known he was odd, but never crazy. How could he have been so wrong about this man? How could a surgeon who is sworn to save lives, end up taking the lives of others without remorse? One of the nurses seemed to notice his internal agony and quietly placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sir, he got what he deserved. A good beating. But he is alive and will be fine. His victims, well, except for Meredith Grey, they are all dead. He knew better. He took the Hippocratic Oath. "

Dr. Long noticed that Andrew was waking up and mumbling incoherently. He was taken down for an MRI and was found to be fine other than bruising. He quickly regained consciousness and it was decided to keep him one more night at the hospital for observation. Dr. Long made sure Andrew did not press charges against Derek. He knew Dr. Shepherd well enough to know that he was a good man who was pushed to the breaking point by Andrew. He was not going to let Andrew have the satisfaction of sending Dr. Shepherd to jail, not even for a night.

**Some of you have asked if Mer was actually raped by Andrew. That question has not been answered for a reason and you will get your answer in future updates. The theme of this story is to show Mer/Der's love for each other and to bring them into a solid relationship. Derek let his anger out this chapter. Was it right? No. Does it happen? Yes. He felt inadequate to protect her and he is compensating the only way he knows how. Thanks so much for reading and commenting... :)**


	23. Chapter 23

Derek was relieved that Andrew was alive, but amazed at his own fury. He knew that Andrew had pushed his buttons and he had been a willing participant. For some reason, when it came to Meredith Grey, all thought and reason seemed to disappear whenever he knew she was in any trouble. He was missing her. He decided it was time to check on her. He dialed her number quickly and Meredith answered. "Hello?"

"Hey baby. How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess…..sore. Lexie ordered room service. George is here. I have slept most of the day, but Lexie and I, we……had a long talk…..it was….good…..not weird like I thought it would be. She just listened as I talked. You know, I really do have a sister." Meredith's eyes welled up with tears at the thought.

Derek almost wept for joy at hearing this. "Yes, Mer, you have a sister. A really great sister. I am glad you two have been able to bond." He told her about Mark and Izzie but decided this was not the time to tell her about his confrontation with Andrew.

"Mark and Izzie are hitting it off, huh? I am glad. I like them both. They could be…..good….together."

"If Mark grows up." Derek said with a laugh. Talking with Meredith always made him feel better.

"Yes, if Mark grows up. If he hurts Izzie, I will have to cut his off!" Meredith replied, half kidding.

"Mer! Sometimes you do not need to tell me things." Derek said, wincing at the thought. No man could handle that image.

"Derek! I was not talking about yours. No, yours are definitely staying in place. I love where they are….everything about them." Meredith murmured seductively.

"Are you talking dirty to me, Dr. Grey?" Derek asked; secretly glad to hear his Meredith getting back to her normal self.

"Would that be wrong, Dr. Shepherd?" Meredith asked innocently.

"No, no….not at all. More talking dirty I say." Derek replied smugly.

"You always love the gutter talk, dirty man. I miss you. When are you coming back to the hotel?" Meredith realized she had only been away from him for a few hours, but she found herself wanting to see him.

"I will be there in the next hour. I have one more thing to take care of, okay?"

"Okay. But hurry. I love George and Lexie, but…..I need you."

That was all he needed to hear. It warmed him to the core to hear Meredith utter those words. He wanted her to need him. I guess I could talk to Rose later, he thought, and then said aloud, "I am on my way. I have missed you today too. So much. Have Lexie order some food for me too."

"I knew you missed me!" Meredith replied victoriously. She truly wanted him with her. Rationally she knew Andrew was locked up and away from her, but still, she felt safest when Derek was with her. "I will see you in a few minutes! And I will order for you."

"Hey, you better order something healthy!" Derek replied with a laugh.

"You will eat what I order you mister. I am in control of this meal."

"I guess you are……I will just have to get up early in the morning and run off whatever crap you get me."

"It won't be that bad. Just get over here!" Meredith hung up laughing at him. Her smile faded when she hung up the phone. She knew he loved her. But she had remembered the ring Rose was wearing and she needed answers. She was hoping things were not how they appeared. He had been gone almost all day. What had he been up to?

Meanwhile, Derek headed to the hotel deciding he was going to politely kick Lexie and George out after dinner so he and Meredith could talk.

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Room service had just delivered food for the group when Derek walked in the door. Meredith's face lit up with happiness as did his at seeing her looking better than she had last night. He walked over to where she was sitting and kissed her softly, but lovingly on the lips. "What are you eating?" He asked eyeing her cheeseburger and fries. "I do not know how you eat that crap and stay so skinny and beautiful." He chuckled as he said it because she pouted with her lower lip, acting offended. Derek sat down next to her and grabbed her lower lip with his teeth as he went in for another kiss. Meredith immediately responded and smiled, showing him he was forgiven.

"Your food is right here." Meredith handed him a plate that was much healthier than hers. She had ordered him a grilled chicken sandwich, fruit, and a salad. "You are older than me, so I have to make sure you eat well so you live as long as I do."

Now it was Derek's turn to pout. "Are you calling me old?"

Meredith laughed at his hurt expression, but grabbed his thigh and squeezed it reassuringly. "You are not old, just older than me. I want you around when I am old and gray. I figure if I eat whatever I want and you eat healthy, then we will live until about the same time."

Derek shook his head at her logic. "Whatever you say, Mer." He said, laughing as he spoke.

Lexie and George ate in silence, admiring the obvious devotion the couple had to each other and the ease with which they teased the other with the looks of love in their eyes. They were both happy that Meredith had found someone who made her so happy. They just hoped that the issues they were having would be resolved. As soon as they finished eating, they excused themselves, knowing Meredith and Derek needed some time alone. After they said their goodbyes and walked out of the room, they noticed Derek follow them out.

"Hey….I just wanted to say thanks…..for being there for her. For loving her and helping her through this. She loves you both dearly and I am glad she has friends she can count on through anything." Derek said this as he hugged Lexie and shook George's hand. They nodded and gave their appreciation for his thoughtfulness, then went their rooms to rest. They were going to work tomorrow and knew they needed the sleep.

Derek walked back into the room and assisted Meredith to the couch. He wanted to hold her in his arms, but knew they needed to talk and he wanted to face her for that. "What did you do today?" Meredith asked Derek as soon as they were settled. It had been bothering her and she knew if she did not find out soon she would go insane with the ideas that had gone through her head.

"I…Mer….I did something…..unlike me…..bad." Derek started and hurriedly added when he saw the tears in her eyes. "I confronted Andrew."

She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and anguish as he wiped away the tears that had fallen from her eyes with his thumbs. "Why….why….what…..did you….do that for?"

"I just…..he hurt you…..It was killing me…..I had to…..let him know that he would never be able to lay his hands on you again. That I was going to make sure that never happened. Meredith, that man hurt you and all I wanted to do was torture him in the worst way possible." Derek's eyes never left hers. "I knew if I killed him I would be no better than he is……and I would spend the rest of my life away from you. I just…..I needed him to feel some kind of pain. I honestly went to his room to talk to him and tell him exactly how I felt, but…….He taunted me and the next thing I knew, I lost it…..I beat him up….I do not think I would have stopped if the police officer standing watch over him had not stopped me. Luckily he is okay except for a few bruises, but….."

"You would have killed him?" Meredith asked in a whisper, barely able to get the words out.

"I….I think so…..yes." Derek finished, tears streaming down his face.

"For me?" Meredith was watching Derek with a look he had never seen before.

"Mer, I would do anything for you. I know I should never have gone in his room. The rational part of me knows that I should have kept my distance. In that moment, when I lost it…..I was picturing everything he may have done to you and it made me…….explode. The thought of him hurting you in any way just…sent me over the edge." Derek stopped, his sobbing not allowing him to continue.

"Derek, ssshhh. It's okay." Meredith pulled his head down so his face was nestled in her chest and rubbed his back as he cried. "You…..you were trying to protect me. You are not a killer. You are a protector. A lover. You are my knight in shining whatever….I have never known anyone that would do something like that for me." She was crying along with him. "And it is okay. He is okay. He is going to prison for the rest of his life. We never have to deal with him again. He will never be able to hurt anyone again……Derek, that is because of you. You saved me. You captured him. You did not just save my life, but the lives of others he would have eventually targeted. He is insane. You……you are my wonderful brave man. I love you so much."

Derek had stopped crying and had brought his face back up to hers. "I love you, too. More than anything." He whispered his heart full of love and longing. She smiled at him as the space between them became nonexistent and their lips passionately embraced. Meredith brought her hands around his neck as he cupped her face in his hands. Their kiss spoke volumes of their love for each other as their tongues danced together.

When they finally pulled away, breathless, Derek pulled her into his arms. They both sighed content in the moment, Derek nuzzling her neck with his nose, inhaling her scent. He loved her scent. It was like….being home. Heaven. A mixture of the two. They sat in comfortable silence until Meredith started fidgeting with her hands.

"What is it, Mer?" Derek asked concerned about her sudden nervousness.

"I….I have to ask….you something. And Derek, please understand….I heard this secondhand. But I have to ask because it is driving me crazy. But it doesn't make any sense…..it cannot be true….otherwise you would not be here….you would be with her. Unless you are with me out of obligation because of all the crap that has happened to me since we got here. I would understand that too but I do not want you out of obligation…I want you to want to be with me…..I just…."

"Meredith." Derek was a both amused and concerned about her rambling. "What is the question?"

"I…okay…." Meredith took a deep breath before quickly asking, "AreyouengagedtoRose?" She held her breath waiting for the answer.

"Am I…..what?!" It took Derek a moment to process exactly what Meredith had said since she had spoken so quickly. "Are you serious?" He could not decide whether to be angry or laugh at her ridiculous question, but when he saw the intensity in her eyes, he knew she needed an answer. "NO. Absolutely not. N – O. Meredith, I never even had sex with the woman. We only went out on one date. Why would you think……." At that moment he remembered what Andrew had said as well as seeing Rose wearing her engagement ring without an explanation.

"You…..you did not…..ask her to…..marry you? You did not give her a ring?" Meredith asked hoping she had heard him right.

"No, no, no. Mer, did you see her wearing an engagement ring?" Meredith's eyes filled with tears at the memory. Derek pulled her into his arms and whispered, "I swear to you. Baby, I never……ever……even considered marrying that crazy bitch. She has an engagement ring from her ex-fiancée. She wears it around her neck….on a necklace. That had to be the ring you saw." Derek stopped for a moment.

"She wears her engagement ring….the one her ex gave her….around her neck?" Meredith had stopped crying and started laughing. "Seriously?"

"Yeah." Derek replied sheepishly, starting to smile.

"That is the most pathetic thing I have ever heard. What a loser." Meredith pulled back to face him. She looked at him thoughtfully. "Well, you know…..you could save a lot of money by marrying her. She already has the ring." Meredith was laughing at this idea.

"Oh, now you are in trouble! That…..that was just…..mean." Derek finished lamely as he grabbed Meredith, threw her down on the couch, and started tickling her sides. "I'll teach you what happens when you make fun of me." He tickled her until she begged for mercy and ran out of breath.

When they were both exhausted, Derek pulled her into his arms and they lay side-by-side on the couch watching the fire burning in the fireplace. Derek kept his face cuddled into her neck, breathing in her scent and Meredith held on to his arms that surrounded her like she was clutching a life preserver. His warm breath sent chills throughout her body. Both knew they had come a long way and though they had a long way to go, they were going to make it this time.

**So Mer and Der talked about the thorn and bond more. They figure out her role in Mer's kidnapping. (And she will get confronted for her role in Meredith's kidnapping). Thanks for the reviews. Glad you are enjoying the fic! It is complete fantasy but I am like writing without limits :)**


	24. Chapter 24

Later that night……

Meredith is trapped. She cannot breathe. She is smothering. He is watching her struggle to breathe and laughing at the look of horror on her face. "You are mine. No one can take you away from me. No one can find you. Do you understand? You are mine!" She nodded her head in agreement, hoping to coerce him to let her breathe. He acquiesced long enough for her to catch her breath before smothering her again.

"No, NO, NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Meredith woke up sobbing and screaming. Derek woke to her screams and brought her into his arms whispering soothing words.

"Sshh. Mer, you are safe. I am here. No one is going to hurt you ever again. I am here. I am not going anywhere. You are safe." Derek repeated this until Meredith's sobs subsided and she started to relax in his arms. She clung tightly to him as if she was afraid he would disappear at any moment and the horror she had just experienced would return. "Do you want to talk about it?" Derek asked after she had quieted down.

"I…..I…..it was a…..bad dream." Meredith quietly whispered. "A memory of when Andrew held me hostage. It was so real…….just like when it happened……so real….and I……I could not escape. I….I just knew……I was going to…..die. And I would never see you again." She started sobbing quietly at the thought. She pulled away so she could look into his eyes. "That is all I could think about. How we had decided to give our relationship another chance and now I was going to die….It seemed…..so cruel. So unjust. I keep thinking I am going to wake up and find myself back with Andrew….that this is the dream."

"Mer, pinch me." Derek said softly.

"What?!" Meredith gave him puzzled look.

"Pinch me. Right here." Derek held up his arm and demonstrated by pinching his arm.

"Derek, what does that have to do with…….?"

"I am real. I am here. I am not going anywhere. I am going to be here for you through everything. You are safe. You are here, in my arms." Derek gave her his signature smile while he tilted his head. He felt like crying seeing how upset she was, but knew he needed to be strong for her. Meredith gave him a small smile in return. She never could resist his smile or the look he gave her. Only her. She knew he would do anything for her. Protect her. Listen to her. Hold her. Comfort her. Support her. Hovering was his specialty and she loved that quality in him for the first time. It had always annoyed her in the past, but now….now she realized how much she loved that he cared enough to hover.

"You are too good to me." She whispered staring into his eyes.

"I am giving you what you deserve. This is just the beginning of you getting what you deserve." Derek whispered back as he leaned his head down and captured his lips in hers. She returned his kiss for a moment before pulling back to look at him again. She could get lost in his eyes. The eyes that told her without words of his love and devotion to her. Of how special she was to him. The eyes had mesmerized her from the beginning. That first night at Joe's. They still did not fail to captivate her. Make her breathless.

"Lay down, baby." Derek whispered as he gathered her in his arms and drew her body to his side. She laid her head on his chest and relaxed. He let tears fall from his eyes as he held her until they both fell asleep. Seeing her go through this……it hurt. In his arms, she dreamed of growing old with him…..building a house…..children…..sleeping every tucked safely in bed with him. Her lips formed a smile as she dreamed of what was to be.

Her eyes opened what seemed to be a short moment later. She realized it was morning by the sunlight coming through the windows. She was still nestled safely in Derek's arms and, though she could not see his face she could tell by the way he was breathing that he was still sleeping soundly. She was careful not to move. She did not want to wake him and knew he was a light sleeper. His earplugs were in, but he was still sensitive to her movements. It was like he was always watching out for her…..even in his sleep. She sighed, content to relax in his arms, feel his chest rise and fall with each breath, and hear his slow regular heartbeat. She was almost lulled to sleep again when she felt him begin to stir. She lifted her head to see his face. He was smiling but his eyes remained close. He could feel her eyes on him.

"Morning." Derek said huskily as he opened his eyes and saw her smiling down at him.

"Morning." Meredith replied and leaned down to give him a soft kiss.

"How are you feeling?" Derek asked rubbing her back with long, soft strokes.

"Not bad. Hungry. And ready to get out of this hotel!" Meredith said emphatically.

"You are always hungry." Derek replied with a laugh as he leaned up to give her another kiss. She rolled her eyes at him. "Where do you want to go? You cannot walk far with your boot." He said referring to her broken leg.

"Let's go to the hospital and see Mark and Izzie. You can always drive me around in a wheelchair." She gave him a smile and wink. "Actually you can drive me in whatever capacity you want."

"Dr. Grey, I suggest you do not start anything you do not intend on finishing." Derek said, already feeling himself becoming hard.

"Breakfast, visit Mark, and then we will see. Maybe later." Meredith replied, feeling him getting hard and sitting up to let him know that now was not an option for sex.

He did not press it as he was not sure when she would be ready. She had not told him what all Andrew had put her through and he would not push her to do anything until she was ready. He would wait as long as she needed him to. "How about I run a bath for you and while you freshen up, I will order breakfast?"

"That sounds like a plan." Meredith gave him a thankful smile.

They bathed and ate breakfast then headed to the hospital to see their friends.

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Derek pushed Meredith out of the elevator onto the ICU floor just as Rose was entering. Rose looked down, obviously uncomfortable, but managed to say, "I am glad you are okay Meredith" in a whisper. Meredith almost did not hear her. She was too focused on looking at her left hand.

"Where is your ring, Rose?" Meredith asked her tone revealing anything but friendliness.

"Wh….what?" Rose asked, panicking. She did not know how she was going to get out of this situation.

"The ring….the ring you were wearing on your left hand…..th engagement ring. You know the one you told everyone that Derek gave you?" Meredith was not about to let the lying bitch off the hook.

"I…I….oh….well, the only ring I have…..is this one." Rose pulled out her engagement ring on her necklace her hands shaking so badly she had a hard time finding it. "It was given to me by…..well….I suppose you already know that story."

"Yes, I already know that story you pathetic, clingy leech. What I do not understand is why you tried to make others believe that Derek gave it to you." Meredith was getting angry. Rose was avoiding and she was not about to get away with her part in trying to destroy Meredith's relationship with Derek.

"I….I am so sorry…..Meredith. Derek." She glanced quickly at him, but he would not even look at her. "You have to believe me….I had no idea…..that Andrew was….crazy. I did not know he was going to hurt you. He told me he loved you and I knew that I wanted Derek, so we……thought we could help each other get what we wanted. It was selfish….and wrong." Rose was crying as she realized the gravity of what she had done. She knew she had lost Derek forever.

"Well if you ever come near me or Derek again….so help me….." Meredith was cut off when Derek interrupted her.

"Mer, why don't I take you to see Mark and Izzie? I need to talk to Rose for a moment. We have some things to set straight, don't we Rose? Rose, meet me in the waiting room across the hall from the ICU. NOW." Derek gave Rose a look of pure hatred, daring her to protest. She was totally shocked. She had no idea that such a wonderful man was capable of emitting such hate. She had screwed up. Big time.

Meredith had never seen Derek this upset and knew better than to argue, though she very much wanted to be there when Derek confronted Rose. She knew he was trying to protect her again and instead of fighting him, she nodded her head in agreement as he wheeled her to Mark's room. She gave Rose an icy stare they parted.

Rose knew she was in for it. Meredith's wrath she could handle because she did not care about the woman. Derek…..the fact that she had destroyed her chance with him and that he would probably never speak to her again after their talk……that broke her heart. She had to make this right. But how? She had to come up with a plan….and fast.

**More Mer/Der bonding:) **

**Next chapter - Rose gets confronted.**

**Thanks as always for your comments! They make my day! **


	25. Chapter 25

Once Meredith was settled with Mark and Izzie, Derek quickly excused himself and told them he would be back soon. He was furious. Yes, he was mad at Rose. Almost as mad at her as he was with Andrew. But more than anyone else, he was mad at himself. If he had been more patient with Meredith and waited instead of leading Rose on……well, he could have saved them all a lot of heartache and pain. He knew that did not give Rose an excuse and was not about to let her off the hook. When he walked into the waiting room he saw that Rose was sitting there in tears. Thankfully they were alone. She did not even look up when he entered the room.

"I….I know….I know……you are…..angry with me….." Rose started. "I swear to you……Derek…I never….did any of this…..to hurt you. I had….no idea……Andrew was such a……crazy man." She was sobbing uncontrollably now. If she was expecting any sympathy from Derek, she instantly realized she was going to be disappointed.

"You never did any of this to hurt me?! Then why did you do it? To hurt Meredith? To get what you wanted? I am confused Rose. You are not the person you presented yourself to be. I thought you were….different. Honest. Caring. Not a self-centered bh who was more concerned with getting what she wanted not matter what it cost other people. Are you that insecure? You have to play dirty to try to win my love? You are that pathetic?! You have so little to offer someone that you have to lie and deceive to get anywhere! No wonder your ex did not want to marry you! He probably saw right through your bullshit. His biggest mistake was getting you that stupid ring. Or did you buy it yourself? Is all of that made up too?!" He did not take his eyes off of her through his tirade. His looked of hatred bore right through her and cut her to the quick. "You hurt me. You hurt me in the worst possible way. The most painful way that anyone could have. You hurt me because you hurt my Meredith! The woman that means more to me than anything else in this world! I almost lost her! Not just my relationship with her, but all of her! Meredith could have died. DIED! She was tortured by a mad man because you were stupid and went along with a plan to ensure that Meredith and I would never have another chance. You were so focused on your own wants that you did not even realize what it could mean for anyone else! Do you even care?! Does it even matter to you in the least that Meredith will have to deal with what happened to her and that she will carry those memories with her for the rest of her life?! Even if Andrew was not insane and had not tried to hurt her, why would you make her think that I was engaged to you?!" He did not give Rose a chance to answer. "You were so threatened by her that you did not give a shit what happened as long as she was out of your way! You are no better than Andrew! You deserve to go to jail! I know they cannot pin any crime on you, but I promise you this…When you get back to Seattle, you WILL find another job. You will no longer be employed by Seattle Grace! And do not even think about getting a recommendation from anyone at the hospital! No one will put in a good word for you when they know what you did. You are better off not letting anyone know where you are going because if I find out, I will make sure that you do not get offered a job anywhere you apply. The arrangements have already been made and you will be getting on the next flight to Seattle so you can pack your things. I do not EVER want to see your ugly ass horse face again! As far as I am concerned, you do not exist. If you ever come near Meredith or me again…..I will make you regret it. That is not just a threat that is a promise."

Derek was getting more and more angry. He was starting to lose control and knew he needed to get away from her before he really did do something that would get him in trouble. He quickly exited and decided to walk outside to catch his breath. He started pacing back and forth, crying for Meredith. The woman he loved more than life itself, but kept hurting. He did not know how he kept hurting her. Or why. But he made a promise to himself at that moment. He would spend the rest of his life fulfilling her every wish and desire. That was his life goal. To make Meredith Grey as happy as she had made him.

Back in the waiting room, Rose sat in shock and disbelief. She never knew Derek was capable of such anger and hatred. She knew she had messed up, but she had no idea that it would get her to this point. She had planned to apologize and beg him for mercy. Tell him she would do anything to make it up to him. He had not given her a chance to speak. Now…..now she did not know what to do. Her whole life had changed in a second. Derek had seen to that. Any chance she ever had with him was gone. He would never forgive her for what she did. How did things get so out of control? All she wanted was him. Unfortunately she had not looked at what it could cost her. She realized that her focus needed to change into a plan for her future….one without Derek Shepherd.

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After he calmed down, Derek headed back to Mark's room. He walked in to see Izzie, Mark, and Meredith laughing. It warmed his heart to see her happy. He could not help but smile as he entered the room. Meredith looked up as he entered the room and caught his eye to see if he was okay. He gave her a reassuring wink and loving smile to let her know he was fine. She returned the smile as he sat down next to her and kissed her forehead.

"So how are you feeling today?" Derek asked Mark, turning his attention to his friend.

"Ready to get out of here!" Mark replied emphatically. "Seriously I am fine. I want to go home! Seattle home, not Bethel home!" They all secretly were ready to go home. They had their fill of Alaska. "Dr. Long said I could be discharged today. I wish he would get his ass in here and let me go!"

"Now you know what it feels like to have to wait on the doctor." Izzie teased him with a smile as she leaned in to give him a quick kiss. "Maybe you will not keep your patient's waiting so long next time."

"I am a physician. I have things to do. Things that do not include lying in a hospital bed all day waiting on someone to tell me I can go home. I….."

"Are you saying that since you are a physician, your 'things to do' are more important than other patients?" Izzie asked a little annoyed at Mark's superiority complex.

"No, I just…..I mean……I am just tired of being a patient." Mark finished weakly. He knew she was right, but he would not admit it. Ever. It took a lot for Mark Sloan to admit he was wrong about anything. He could usually argue his way out of anything, but for some reason, Izzie was really good at calling his bluff. She did not buy his crap. Not for a minute. And he found this…..intriguing. This fireball who seemed to like him in spite of his arrogance. In spite of his cockiness. In spite of his manwe tendencies. In spite of all of his flaws. She seemed to like him for……well……him.

Derek was watching his friend's interaction with Izzie with interest. He had never seen him back down so easily. He had almost admitted he was wrong. Derek could tell it was bothering Mark that he was becoming……well whipped. It amused Derek to no end. He was glad someone had finally called him on his chit and Mark was taking it. He continued to watch them as he rubbed circles on Meredith's back with his fingers. She was watching Izzie and Mark interact with interest as well. This was definitely not the type of man Izzie usually fell for….but….the more she thought about it…..Izzie tended to fall for different types. Not one particular 'type.' She smiled as she watched her friend fuss over making sure Mark was comfortable and had everything he needed.

She felt herself relaxing as Derek continued to absently rub her back. Something as simple as this made her feel…..home. Safe. Content. She turned her gaze to quietly observe Derek as he continued to watch Mark and Izzie. What had happened between him and Rose? He seemed okay. At peace. That was really all that mattered. If he was okay, then she was okay. Well maybe she was not completely okay. She was angry. Angry at Rose….and Andrew…..and the whole situation. But….it had brought them back together, stronger than ever. Still….she wanted to speak to Rose. She did not care that Rose had hurt her, but she had hurt Derek. That pissed off Meredith. Derek did not deserve to be manipulated and hurt. But he had been. By Rose. This made Meredith want to do things…..awful things….to this woman. This bh. She wanted to confront Rose herself but knew Derek would not want her to. He wanted to protect her. What Derek did not realize was that Meredith did not need protection from Rose. Rose was the one who would need protection from Meredith. She would find a way to confront her. With or without Derek's help.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Dr. Long who walked in to see how Mark was doing. He noticed right away Mark's impatience and readiness to be discharged. "Everything looks good, Mark. You can definitely be discharged today." Dr. Long looked around as he addressed everyone else. "I have arranged a private jet to fly you home today. I appreciate all of the hard work you have all put in to help this hospital. I have another group that flew in last night and is going to help until I find replacements for everyone. You have all been through enough here and deserve to go home. I hope you will remember the good parts of your trip to Bethel. I realize awful things happened as well and I am so sorry for that. I wish I had done a lot of things differently…." He paused trying to collect his thoughts and keep from crying. "You are all terrific surgeons and I know you will succeed in life…personally and professionally. Take care of yourselves."

The three surgeons truly admired this man and how strong he had been through difficult circumstances. They hugged him and thanked him for his hospitality. All three let out a huge sigh of relief when he left the room, knowing they were going home.

**So Rose was called on her crap. She has more backlash coming (and she deserves it). They are leaving Alaska and happy to be doing so. :) More to come - thanks for reading and letting me know you were here:)**


	26. Chapter 26

The group was boarding the private jet sent to take them back to Seattle. Everyone was excited to be going home. They all got seated and had quieted down when an unexpected passenger came aboard.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Derek asked not bothering to hide his disdain for Rose. "You were supposed to fly out 3 hours ago!" The last think he wanted was to have to see this bh for an entire flight. The plane was small so avoiding her would be impossible.

Everyone glared at Rose as she struggled for an answer. She knew she had no friends on this flight. "The flight….I was……taking…was canceled. This was the only….other flight to Seattle….today." She looked around desperately for a seat, but no one seemed willing to share with her. Abigail finally moved her bag out of the seat next to hers so she could sit next to her. Rose gave her a thankful smile, but Abigail just rolled her eyes and turned to face the window. Everyone knew what she had done and no one was ready to forgive her for it. Rose knew she was in for a long flight.

Meredith grabbed Derek's hand and squeezed it while whispering to him. "Der calm down. It is okay. She cannot hurt us anymore. When she gets off this flight…..we never have to see her again." He remained agitated, so she grabbed his face with both hands and made him look at her. "Derek. It is okay. She is no longer in our lives. We are together, safe. We are going home. Home, Derek. We are starting new and planning a future. One without Rose and Andrew. One with a house and kids and a dog." That got Derek's attention. His eyes finally met hers and he saw the sincerity in them. She really wanted the house, the kids, the future. She smiled at him and met him halfway with her lips for a passionate, love filled kiss. He was smiling when they pulled apart. "Our future." Derek repeated over and over in his mind as he pulled her head to his chest and leaned back in the seat. They drifted off to sleep in each other's arms, content to be together.

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Meredith woke up to find Derek watching her sleep. This it seems was his favorite pastime. She smiled up at him as he leaned down to kiss her softly. "Did you sleep well?" He murmured quietly, inhaling her lavender scent.

"I always do when I am in your arms." She replied with a content sigh. She sat up and looked around noticing everyone else was resting or napping. She was no longer tired and she had an idea. "What do you say…..we join the mile high club?" Meredith whispered seductively to Derek wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Mer," Derek groaned, already feeling his member harden at the thought. "How are we going to be quiet? And how are we both going to fit in that little bathroom with your leg cast?"

"I do not think we will disturb these sleeping people. I want you. Please…..Please…." Meredith started moving her hands down under his pants, towards his responding cock.

"I cannot…..possibly….say no…..to that." Derek panted quickly grabbing her hands and pulling her up as he stood up. They quickly made their way to the bathroom. As soon as the door closed behind them, Meredith jumped into his arms, wrapping her good leg around his waist. She started grinding into him with her hips. He knew he would not be able to take this slow. Slow is what he had wanted. But now…the way she was kissing and sucking on his neck and grinding against him…..it was almost enough to drive him over the edge. He quickly grabbed her hips and pushed her against the only empty wall in the bathroom. He began ravishing her mouth with his tongue and she responded greedily. He started unbuttoning her shirt, as quickly as possible with his shaking hands. She ran her hands through his hair and down his chest, pulling his shirt up over his head. They broke their kiss long enough to remove his shirt and resumed their tongue war, battling for control. Derek's hands moved down her pants and he unbuttoned them quickly and expertly, maneuvering his hands in between her panties and her center. She started to moan as he flicked a finger over her clit. "Baby, you are so wet." He moaned, continuing his assault with his tongue down her neck as he slipped two fingers into her center. He started thrusting his fingers in and out of her rhythmically, failing to notice Meredith tensing up.

"St….stop….STOP IT!" Meredith cried out as tears started pouring down her face. Derek immediately pulled his fingers out and brought her body into a big hug. He was scared. She had never reacted this way to his touch before. "Sshh. It's okay, baby." He continued to whisper words of comfort as her sobs slowly started subsiding. It alarmed him at how quickly terror had filled her. The last thing he ever wanted was to scare or upset her. His eyes filled with tears as she clung to him and continued to weep. She finally started to calm down and her crying stopped, being replaced by hiccoughs. "I….I….so….sorry." She said when she had enough strength to meet his loving, troubled gaze. "Memories…..bad…..bad……thoughts…and I know…..I……safe…..I just……could not stop……the thoughts……" She started tearing up again, but Derek wiped her tears with the pads of his thumbs.

"It is okay. I am the one who is sorry. I did not mean….to bring up……bad memories." Derek nearly choked to keep from sobbing as he said the words. The last thing he wanted when he and Meredith were making love was for another man to enter her thoughts. It hurt. He literally felt like his heart was breaking from the pain. But it hurt more to see her hurting. "I am the one who is sorry, baby. I am so sorry."

"It's….it's not you. I just…..I think…..I need some time. Is that okay?" Meredith asked anxiously. She could see the hurt in his eyes and that is the last thing she wanted.

He nodded his head while grabbing her face with his hands, forcing her to look up at him. "You take as much time as you need. I will be here. I am not going anywhere. I want to help you through this….I will do whatever you want or need me to."

"Thanks." She whispered looking up at him thankfully. She did not know what she had done to deserve such a wonderful, understanding man, but she was grateful. She kissed him softly and he returned her kiss lovingly. They dressed in silence and went back to their seats. Everyone was still sleeping.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Derek asked, not wanting to force her, but wanting her to know that he was there if she needed to talk.

"I….I do. But not here. Not now. Later. When it is just us." Meredith replied, knowing she needed to tell him what she remembered, but also knowing the pain it would cause him. She did not want him to hurt. The thought of him in pain made her physically ill. She knew if she did not open up to him that would hurt him also. So she would tell him….but not on the plane….not with others around.

"Okay." Derek nodded in understanding. He was glad that she was willing to share with him. And he really did not want to go into detail with others around. They needed privacy. "Do you want to go back to the trailer or your house when we get home?"

"The trailer definitely." She replied. They would have peace and quiet there. She leaned against him again, burying her face in his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered soothing words of comfort. Safe…..he always made her feel so safe. She smiled at the realization that she was in his arms, and even though they had issues to address…….they were together. She was content.

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Rose could not remember ever feeling more uncomfortable in all of her life. No one would even acknowledge her presence on the plane except to occasionally glare at her. She could feel the loathing and hatred and it made her skin crawl. She figured there was only one way to get back into good standing with those on the plane, especially Derek. The key was Meredith. Rose decided she was going to talk to Meredith. Maybe if she could reason with her, Meredith would talk to Derek and he would let her keep her job. The thought of losing her job…..and not being able to see Derek every day……..was more than she could stand. The difficult part was trying to figure out how to get her alone. She would wait until she had her chance. Then she would do all of the groveling and begging she had to….anything to get Meredith Grey on her side. Not that she really cared what Meredith thought. But….Derek did. And she did care what Derek thought. So indirectly she cared what Meredith thought since it mattered to Derek. But only because he cared. But how could she get Meredith alone?

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Mark awoke suddenly as the plane was shaking. Turbulence, he realized. Just turbulence. He drifted back to sleep. The pilot came over the loudspeaker and woke everyone out of their slumber. "Attention passengers, we are experiencing technical difficulties. Please remain seated and we will keep you updated. Thank you."

Everyone woke up quickly with that announcement. "What exactly does 'technical difficulties' mean?" Mark asked Derek.

"It cannot be good. But hopefully they will fix it without any problems." Derek answered trying to reassure himself as well as Mark and Meredith. He could not ever remember a pilot actually announcing 'technical difficulties' on any flight he had ever been on. Turbulence, yes. Bad weather, yes. He did not recall ever having a pilot comment on the function of the aircraft. He tried not to let this bother him too much, but after the events of the past week, nothing would surprise him anymore. Meredith could tell he was deep in thought and nudged him gently as she asked, "What is wrong?"

"Nothing…..it's just…..so much has happened lately that……I am getting nervous over every little thing. I am just being…..silly." Derek replied sheepishly. He wanted to reassure her, not the other way around.

"Silly? No, not really. I think it is normal to be nervous, Derek. We have had crazy things happen to us, you know?" Meredith replied rubbing his arm with her hand.

"Yeah, I'd say we make a pretty crazy pair, the two of us." Derek smirked at her in return, thinking of everything the two of them had been through since they met a year and a half ago.

"I'm surprised we have not both been committed." Meredith replied with a laugh, only half kidding.

"If this kind of chit keeps up, we will be." Derek laughed. "But I do not really care where I end up…as long as I am with you." He flashed his smile….the smile that melted her heart.

"You are so cheesy!" Meredith laughed as she leaned in and kissed him quickly on the lips.

"Yeah, and you love it!" He replied returning a quick kiss to her lips.

"I do…..I so do…..love it." Meredith said. "How pathetic am I?"

"Hey….." Derek had a hurt look on his face. "Why is it pathetic to love your cheesy boyfriend?" He started pouting, sticking out his lower lip. She sighed. He was always good at looking pitiful and totally breaking her resolve.

"Oh, Der. It is not pathetic to love you…..or your cheesiness." Meredith gave him a smile. "I actually like that……loving you and your cheese…..It makes me…..happy." She ended lamely with a giggle. Now she sounded cheesy. That is what he had turned her into…..a giant pile of cheesy mush. And she loved it. She never thought this would be her, but it was. What she did not know was that Derek had never been the cheesy type before meeting her. They had changed each other in ways that only the two of them could.

He giggled back and started to speak, when the pilot came back over the loudspeaker. "Attention passengers. We are preparing for descent. Please return to your seats, fasten your seatbelts and prepare for landing." As they descended, the pilot announced, "As you may notice by your view below, we are not landing in Seattle. Dr. Long decided you deserved a week in Hawaii. It is his way of letting you know how much he appreciates your help. He has cleared this with your chief at Seattle Grace. Clothing will be provided as you obviously were packed for cold weather. Enjoy your descent and enjoy your vacation!"

The group could hardly believe their ears. They all strained to look out the windows to see the approaching island. It seemed too good to be true. Yet it was.

"A whole week in Hawaii?! Seriously? Seriously? Derek, this is……incredible!" Derek could not help but laugh at how excited Meredith was. She was practically coming out of her seat. She could not sit still. He was secretly thrilled himself. The thought of spending a week in a romantic place like Hawaii with the woman he loves? He could not think of anything better.

**So - a slight detour on their way back to Seattle - but good things to come :) Mer/Der talk coming up - Mer/Rose talk coming up - Thanks for reading and letting me know you were here. I know I do not do the disclaimer thing with every chapter, but just a reminder - I own nothing GA - sadly, nothing at all...**


	27. Chapter 27

The group arrived at the Four Seasons Resort and was ushered to their rooms. Each room was ocean front and breathtaking.

day was winding down so they were given the option of room service or dinner in one of the restaurants. They all opted for room service as they were exhausted from the long flight. Meredith and Derek ate on the lanai in their room and then decided to walk on the beach before going to bed. Meredith could not get over how beautiful the scenery was. They walked in companionable silence, hand-in-hand, relishing every moment. Derek found himself watching Meredith as she looked over the scenery. Her reaction to the beauty around her was stunning to him. She had always been attractive to him, but seeing her relaxing and away from the stress of the hospital…..it made even more striking to him. With Meredith's leg still in the brace, she could not walk far, so they sat down in the sand when she got tired. Derek pulled her into his arms, between his legs and held her while they watched the sunset.

"This…..this is…..heaven." Meredith murmured turning to look into Derek's eyes.

He smiled his dreamy smile. "And we have 6 more days of this. You and me. Doing anything you want."

"Anything?" She replied inching closer to his lips.

"Anything." He reaffirmed, closing the distance so their lips could meet in a blissful kiss.

When they finally pulled apart for air, Meredith looked at him and said, "Well, maybe we should talk first. If I get this off of my chest, I think I will be able to enjoy our trip more."

Derek was glad to hear her talking about opening up to him. He almost dreaded hearing what she had to say because he knew it involved her being hurt, but he wanted to be there for her and help heal her wounds. He turned her around to face him saying, "Whenever you are ready. I have all night."

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Derek and Meredith went back to their room once the sun set. Meredith decided she wanted to take a bath, so Derek ran the water for her while she got her toiletries out of her suitcase. As she was entering the bathroom Derek was exiting. He looked at her hopefully, raising his eyebrows and asked, "Do you want some company?"

Meredith shook her head. "No, horny man. I am going to take a relaxing bath. Key word being 'relaxing.' I will not be long." She laughed as he stuck out his lower lip into a pout.

"I assure you," He stated cockily, "that taking a bath with me would be VERY relaxing." He winked as he walked into the bedroom, leaving her alone as she had requested.

She laughed as she closed the door behind her. She placed her shampoo, conditioner, soap, and razor on the side of the tub and then started undressing. She entered the warm bubble bath Derek had prepared for her, moaning at the way her body seemed to loosen up in the water. She had not realized how sore or tense she was until she sat down and relaxed. Sighing in contentment as she felt her muscles start to loosen up, she realized that she was in paradise with the man she loves. This brought a small smile to her face as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the tub. It was time to talk to him. She knew that she needed the release of sharing her burden with someone else. Derek was that person. The last thing she wanted to do was trouble him, but she was starting to understand that being in a committed relationship involved sharing everything……including each other's pains, joys, and sorrows. If it had been Derek who had been through what she had endured……she would want him to talk to her. As much as it would hurt, she would want to know. And she knew Derek wanted to know so he could share the burden with her…..help her heal.

She soaked in the tub until the water started to cool off, and then decided it was time to get out. She grabbed a towel and stood up with her broken leg propped on the side of the tub. As she toweled off she happened to glance at herself in the mirror. She was horrified with what she saw. Multiple bruises and cuts throughout her chest and abdominal area. She wanted to look away, but could not. She turned halfway to reveal more bruises and cuts on her back. As she turned back around she noticed what looked like a bite mark above her left breast. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down as she slipped her panties and pajama pants on with difficulty with her leg cast. She had started shaking uncontrollably and was having difficulty making her fingers do what she wanted them to. She forced herself to look away from the mirror to try to regain control of her hands. Choking back sobs as she grabbed her Dartmouth t-shirt and tried to put it on, she felt her legs giving out. She was breaking. She literally felt herself breaking. She sat on the cold tile on the floor of the bathroom and started weeping. The crying got so intense that she started struggling to breathe. Her breathing was becoming labored and in short, desperate gasps. The next thing she knew, Derek was by her side, holding her in his arms, tears streaming down his face as he whispered words of love and comfort to her. Being in his arms always comforted her and she felt herself calming down, her breathing returning to normal and her sobs starting to dissipate. When she finally regained her composure she looked up at him with tear-filled eyes that showed her gratitude.

"You looked in the mirror, didn't you?" He whispered, trying to keep himself from sobbing at the look of sorrow in her eyes.

"Yeah. I knew I was sore…..but I had no idea……" Meredith found herself becoming calm enough to collect her thoughts and express them with words. She knew it was time to let it all out. She shared it all with him, sitting in his arms on the bathroom floor. Everything she remembered. Stopping intermittently when the pain became too great and she would break down into sobs. Derek waited patiently and held her as she shared with him. He comforted her, listened to her, and cried with her. While he was glad that she was opening up to him in a way that he was sure she had never opened up to anyone before, he struggled with what she told him. It hurt. To picture her going through the torture of this madman was horrifying. If he could get his hands on Andrew now…..he knew he would not stop……until he was dead. In the back of his mind he knew it was a good thing they had left Alaska before she opened up to him like this. He knew she had been hurt, but to hear details…….was almost more than he could handle. He would bare it though….for her. He would do anything for her. They sat there, the two of them…in each other's arms, bonding in a way they never thought possible. Mixed with the agony of the situation was the ever growing connection the two of them shared and would continue to share throughout their journey through this life together.

When she finished, they sat there, holding each other, drinking in the fact that they were together and had made it through a terrible situation. Meredith felt like a ton of bricks had been lifted off of her shoulders. She could tell it had hurt Derek immeasurably to know all that she had endured. She also knew how much he loved that she had confided in him. She felt closer to him than ever in that moment. Safe. Healing. Connected. She looked up at him and saw he was watching her with an intensity that made her melt. "I love you, Meredith Grey." He whispered as he leaned down to kiss her softly.

"I love you, too….so much." Meredith replied returning his kiss. As Derek felt the kiss becoming more heated, he lovingly, but firmly pulled away. He did not want to force her into anything she was not ready for. "Derek" Meredith looked up at him and pulled his face down to hers as she said "I want you to make love to me. I know I look hideous right now….but….."

"You look beautiful. You always look beautiful." Derek said emphatically. "I would love nothing more than to make love to you, but Mer…..do you think you are ready?" He searched her eyes for an answer.

She did not hesitate in answering him with a passionate kiss. As she pulled away, he was left momentarily dizzy from the way she knocked him senseless with her kiss. She had always had that effect on him. "Derek. You make me feel beautiful and loved. I need you. I need you to show me how beautiful you think I am. I need to feel you inside me. I need……you….if you want me." She realized he may be uncomfortable being with her when she had obvious marks from a recent encounter with another man plastered all over her body.

"Of course, I want you. You never have to wonder whether or not I want you, because I always have and I always will. I just do not want to hurt you." Derek wanted to make love to her, but did not want her jumping into something she was not ready for…..he remembered all too well their earlier encounter on the plane.

"You could never hurt me like that. I want you, Derek. Please." Meredith started to plead with him but was cut off as his hands grabbed her face and kissed her, full of love and passion. She responded enthusiastically and he picked her up and carried her to the bed, never breaking contact with her lips. They made love in a way neither of them had ever experienced before. He kissed every bruise and cut, healing her with his touch. Again and again. In the midst of the hurt…..they felt an underlying current pulling them together in an inexplicable way. They were healing, together. Heart and soul, body and mind. Neither of them ever wanted to let go. Finally exhausted, they fell asleep entangled in each other's in a way neither had realized was possible.

**Rose is not in Hawaii for long, I promise you – we will be saying goodbye to her in the next chapter…..Meredith-style **** This chapter, though……it was all about bonding ****Mer****/Der. Thanks for reading and letting me know you were here (as always). **


	28. Chapter 28

Meredith awoke to the sound of the ocean. She felt the warm breeze coming in from the open door on the balcony. She glanced at the clock and realized it was early, but she was wide awake. The idea of watching the sunrise was appealing to her, especially in this tropical paradise. She could feel Derek's easy breathing behind her and felt his exhale on her neck. He was sleeping deeply and she did not want to disturb him. She slowly maneuvered her way out of his warm embrace without disturbing his slumber. She threw on a t-shirt and pair of shorts and decided to walk to the beach to watch the sun rise above the water. She scribbled a quick note to Derek, knowing he would worry if he woke up and she was nowhere to be found. His overbearing ways had driven her crazy and felt smothering in the beginning, but she was learning to appreciate just how much he truly cared about her. She grabbed one of the keys and left the room. Walking with the boot had become second nature to her and she had minimal difficulty even walking on the beach. She sat down in the sand and relaxed, seeing the sun start to peak over the horizon.

She was so lost in thought over her incredible night with Derek and watching the sunrise that she did not notice the approaching figure until she spoke. "Meredith?" The voice spoke in a hesitant voice. Meredith looked up to see Rose standing beside her, biting her lower lip and wringing her hands nervously. "Rose," was all she managed to say as her wonderful world was interrupted by a woman who she had come to loathe. Even her name was enough to make her nauseous.

"I….I hope you do not mind……I wanted to……I wanted to talk to you…..I feel so terrible about…..everything. I had no idea……that Andrew……was such a…….monster." Rose was stumbling over her words terribly. She had no clue how to get into Meredith's good graces. The only thing she did know was that Meredith was a woman of compassion. She would have to use that angle.

"There are a lot of things I had no idea about, Rose." Meredith started. She had much she wanted to say to this manipulative bh. "Like how you could be so desperate to steal my man that you risked my life to have him. Last time I checked, nurses were supposed to be compassionate and try to save lives….not destroy them. You have some serious nerve, even coming up to me. Derek would kick your a if he saw you out here with me. How you can actually have the guts to approach me….look at me……talk to me…..hell even be in my presence……knowing that I suffered tremendously because of you. I almost died. Of course that would not have been a real problem for you now would it?! It probably would have made your catch of Derek even easier…..or so you think." Rose tried to interrupt, but Meredith held up her hand and gave her a threatening look. "I am not finished. I do not really care what you did to me, you scheming tramp. What I do care about is what you did to my boyfriend. He was hurt by this, too. His life will be forever affected by what happened. And you have yourself to thank for that. The truth is you do not care about him. You do not give a rat's a about anyone but yourself and what you want. Well, guess what? You will never have him. EVER. You lost your dream man. You also have no career left, but that is actually a good thing because God knows what you have done to patients to get what you want. If I have anything to do with it…..you will never get a job in the medical field again. Period."

Rose was crying as she listened. She knew she had blown her chance at happiness and had lost…..she had lost everything. "Wh….what….do you want? What can……I do……..to make up for what I did?"

"You can leave Seattle. Hell, leave Washington State. I never want to see your sorry a again. Anywhere. Ever. I want you to leave Derek and me alone. Move away and start a life somewhere else….hopefully one that does not include hurting others for your gain. I hope Derek and I haunt your dreams at night and you envision how happy we are and will continue to be. I am going to have his children….marry him……spend the rest of my life with him. You…..I have no idea what will become of you. But….I hope you get everything you deserve. I hope others are as compassionate to you as you have been to them. My wish for you….is that you will reap every seed you have sown." Meredith looked away from her at this point. She could not stand the site of a woman so selfish and uncaring.

Rose pulled out the last card she had to break Meredith. "Well….I am sorry you feel that way. Derek will not feel that way when he finds out that I am carrying his baby." She stopped to let the words sink in for her arch enemy.

Meredith did not buy it for one second. "Seriously?! Are you still playing this stupid game?! You think I am going to believe anything you have to say????? Do you, you dim-witted bimbo? Derek was not dense enough to sleep with you. Get over yourself. You can only wish that he had slept with you. Believe me….it is a life altering, orgasmic experience unlike any other." She laughed at Rose and her last ditch effort to come between her and the love of her life.

"So he told you we did not have sex? Of course he said that. What else was he going to say? He wanted you back. He is a man, Meredith. Men lie all the time to get what they want." Rose was not giving up without a fight. She was beyond frantic and starting to lose rational thought.

"You want me to believe you over Derek?! Do you?! Really?! Please, Rose….the liar in this group is you. You pretended to be engaged to Derek to keep us apart. You are out of ideas and spouting off senseless gibberish. Your words mean nothing. Cut your losses and let go, whiny beggar. No one wants to hear your lies or pathetic pleas for understanding. Get out of here! I am trying to enjoy a quiet moment in paradise and have no more tolerance for you! If you do not walk away now….I assure you, you will regret it!" Meredith was livid. She normally did not allow someone as shallow as this wretched female to upset her, but she was to the point where she was ready to blow.

"Are you threatening me?" Rose asked with raised eyebrows. She was so close……maybe Meredith would hit her…..that could help her case.

"I am not threatening you, I am promising you! If you do not get out of my sight RIGHT NOW, I am going to kick you're a!!!!" Meredith was now yelling with a look that could kill.

"Rose, don't you have a plane to catch?!" Mark interrupted from behind the two in a angry voice of his own.

"I….I…..yeah…..I do." Rose looked at Meredith one last time before heading back to her room to grab her things. She was being forced to return to Seattle to be fired from her position at SGH. Without income, she was going to have to sell her home. She had no idea where she would go. She realized that she was defeated.

"Thanks Mark." Meredith smiled gratefully at him as he sat down beside her.

"I never liked that bh. Never even tried to sleep with her. There was something about her….I don't know." Mark stared off in the distance. "I did try to get Derek to date her, though. I thought he needed to get over you……..I was so wrong. Sorry, Mer. I did not mean to hurt my favorite dirty mistress or my best friend."

"You thought you were doing the right thing, Mark. No need to apologize. I thought I needed to move on from him, too. I thought I was not good enough for him and could not give him what he needed." Mark started to protest, but Meredith continued. "I know now how ridiculous we both were being. We are fixing things and communicating. We are going to work out…..no matter what obstacles come our way. I am confident and content in that now. Our problems had nothing to do with you." Meredith finished softly, placing a comforting hand on Mark's arm.

He looked over at her and smiled. "Derek has found the right woman. He always did have a knack for finding women who are hot and have substance. I always just wanted a good time. He was never the type to look at women as objects."

"I think you are being tamed at this point in your life by a very dear friend of mine." Meredith smirked, returning her hand to the sand for support.

"Yeah….I think I am…..Izzie is different. She is very hot, but she…….she is not just a conquest. Her smile lights up my soul. I have never experienced this feeling with anyone before…..not even Addie, and I really thought she was the one for me." Mark replied thoughtfully, before adding, "this conversation is confidential, Dr. Grey. Please remember that." He smirked and winked at her.

"You got it, Dr. Sloan. The Dirty Mistresses Club is full of secrets." Meredith laughed, glad that Mark and Derek were friends again.

"Shall we?" Mark stood up and offered his hand to help Meredith stand. She gladly accepted and they headed back to their rooms to see their significant others and start a beautiful day in Maui.

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Meredith opened the door to the room she shared with Derek to find him sitting in a recliner on the balcony reading a tourist guide. "Hey." She said as she joined him, sitting beside his right leg and giving him a quick kiss.

"Hey yourself." He replied with a smile, kissing her back. "Did you get to enjoy your sunrise?"

"I….yeah…..it was okay." Meredith was a terrible liar and she knew it. She did not want to bring up her conversation with Rose. They were in paradise and she was ready to enjoy her time with him. Bringing up Rose would only empower her and would be exactly what she wanted. She would not give her the satisfaction. She added with a sexy grin, "It would have been better if I had you with me." She knew that would change the subject from the sunrise to his macho arrogance that she secretly loved.

"Of course it would." Derek winked at her cockily. He gave her a smirk and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"You think you are so hot." Meredith rolled her eyes as she giggled.

"Babe, I don't think things…..I know them. You think I am hot, at least you thought so last night." Derek was enjoying his knowledge of what he did to her way too much.

"Yeah….I did not hear any complaints from you either." She started to warm up just thinking of all the wonderful things he did to her last night until she remembered where they were and that she had new territory to explore. She swatted him playfully then changed the subject. "So…..what are we going to do today?"

He noticed her change in direction and showed her a few ideas he had found in the tourist book. They circled all of the things they wanted to do during their week in Hawaii. They agreed not to overdo it as they wanted to both relax and enjoy each other's company. For today, they opted to drive to the rainforest to see the waterfalls. Derek had already planned a special night for them but decided to surprise Meredith so he let her think that they were going to come back to the hotel and have dinner. She would find out soon enough that they had other plans. He smiled to himself, thinking how happy Meredith would be. He was so busy congratulating himself on his great idea that he failed to realize Meredith was speaking to him. He was brought out of his daydream when she smacked his chest. "Derek? Earth to Derek? Have you heard anything I just said?" Meredith was clearly annoyed that his mind had wandered away from their conversation.

"OUCH! What? Sorry…." He mumbled as he realized he had no clue what she had been talking about. "What did you say?"

"I do not feel the need to repeat myself. If what I said was important to you, you would have been listening!" She stuck out her lower lip in a pout and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Mer – I am sorry. Honey, really. What you have to say is more important to me than anything…..except maybe for the things you do to me….." He added the last line when he saw her resolve crumble and her mouth curve upward into a smile. She rolled her eyes, but giggled. He knew he was forgiven. "So….what do we do now?"

"I was saying that I think we should invite Mark and Izzie to go with us." Meredith stated for the third time.

"Yeah…..okay. That sounds good." Derek liked the idea the more he thought about it. He really enjoyed hanging out with his friend……And he liked the idea of seeing Mark whipped into shape by this woman who seemed to have captivated him.

Meredith got up quickly. "Okay. You call Mark and ask him and then order room service for breakfast. I am going to go shower."

"Yes ma'am, your bossiness." Derek replied with a smile.

"I….I did not mean that you have to…….aw, screw it…..yes I do mean it." Meredith grinned as she leaned down to kiss him. "I love you."

"I love you and your bossiness." Derek said. He really did. And seeing that she had regained her bossy nature made his eyes glimmer with hope and adoration. He had missed her bossy side. And he was certainly not going to do anything to suppress it.


End file.
